


Plus Est En Vous

by SpaceButterflies



Series: Varian replaces Hook Foot in Season 2 AU [2]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Gen, How Do I Tag, Magic, Minor Original Character(s), Moon Powers Cassandra (Disney: Tangled), Moon Powers Varian (Disney), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Saporian Cassandra, Season 3 rewrite, Sibling Bonding, because I changed too much in my season two rewrite, not beta read we die like men, rated T for mild swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:28:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 94,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23939932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceButterflies/pseuds/SpaceButterflies
Summary: When Cassandra takes the Moonstone, there's nothing left for Rapunzel in the Dark Kingdom, so, she and her party return to Corona to figure out two things; How to get both Cass and the Moonstone back.
Relationships: Cassandra & Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra & Varian (Disney: Tangled), Edmund & Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Lance Strongbow, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Varian, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel, Lance Strongbow & Varian, Quirin & Varian (Disney), Rapunzel & Lance Strongbow, Rapunzel & Varian (Disney)
Series: Varian replaces Hook Foot in Season 2 AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1723399
Comments: 689
Kudos: 648





	1. Chapter I: Crossing the Line

**Author's Note:**

> *Kicks the door in* What up kids, it's time for season three. I got so much planned you guys.
> 
> So much.
> 
> Please enjoy the first chapter of Plus Est En Vous, I could not think of a better title. Also, expect some of, if not most of, the chapters to be named after the songs from Season Three because Season Three had the Best Soundtrack out of all of them.

Cassandra found herself in the main room of a small cottage. Confused, the young woman looked about the room. She knew this place. Why?

Then she heard it, that damn melody that’s always been in the back of her mind. That she would catch herself humming while she did her work around the castle.

No. No, no, no, no. She didn’t want to remember this place.

 _Wake up!_ She mentally screamed at herself. _This is just a dream, wake_ up _Cassandra!_

But she doesn’t and she’s forced to watch her younger self come into view.

Her younger self, no more than four years old, shuffled along the floor with bare feet. She tiredly rubbed her eye with one hand and clutched her precious music box with the other.

She vanished into another room, and Cassandra followed her.

The woman stilled, heart aching at the sight of the woman at the work desk. She hadn’t yet noticed the little girl, she had her nose buried in a small blue book and was muttering to herself.

Cassandra studied her. The woman looked nearly exactly like her. Her face wasn’t quite as round, with a very light dusting of freckles across her nose, and her eyes were blue rather than grey, but aside from those minor differences, their resemblance was striking.

She had her jet black hair tied messily into a bun.

“Mama?” Her younger self called and the woman startled.

“Cassandra?” she turned to her with confusion. “What are you doing out of bed? It’s…” she trailed off, looking past both the adult and child versions of Cassandra.

The adult version followed her gaze to a window, sunlight pouring through the shutters.

“It’s morning,” the woman said with a quiet laugh. She closed the blue book she was reading and Cassandra’s eyes narrowed at the sight of the symbol of the cover when she set it down on the table.

The same one from that bastard's necklace.

“Well then, Cassie,” the woman stood and scooped her up, resting her on her hip. “Let’s do our morning chores and then I’ll make us a nice breakfast. What do you say?”

“Okay!”

With that, the woman walked right through her and as if she were watching a play, the scene changed, and now Cassandra watched as her younger self listened intently as a man told her a story.

It was a story she had heard countless times, as it was told every year on the Day of Hearts. The story of the war between Corona and Saporia, and how it ended with the then king of Corona, Herz Der Sonne, and General Shampanier coming together in marriage.

She always hated that story, and now she remembered why.

“But you see, Cassandra,” the man, her father, spoke and the young woman couldn’t help but smile at the way his voice made her feel warm and safe. She wanted to wake up. “Many of our ancestors weren’t happy with this, and wanted to strike back and take what once was ours.”

He didn’t look all that much like her, not like her mother did anyway. He had short brown hair and the only similarity they shared was the color of their eyes.

“But, if everything goes as planned, one day very soon, Corona will fall and Saporia will rise from the ashes. We just have to wait.” 

Again, the scene changed and she’s confused. Her younger self was asleep, safe and sound in bed, and the music box played its lullaby from her bedside. It was quiet. Peaceful even.

Until it wasn’t and the dream became a nightmare.

 _Please,_ She pleaded with herself again. _Wake up._

She heard shouting coming from the other side of the door, muffled voices demanding to know the whereabouts of the princess. 

This was the night Rapunzel was stolen.

She watched as her younger self sat up in bed with wide eyes. Unable to stop her as she slid down onto the floor, and took the music box into her hands. She tried calling out to her, but her voice made no sound as she opened the door.

Cassandra followed her and looked through the doorway. Her mother and father were both in chains, both on their knees before the then captain of the guard.

“I will ask you one last time,” he spoke. “Where is the princess?”

Her father spat at the man’s boot and it earned him a strike to the face. Her mother flinched.

“Rebel scum,” the then captain turned to the woman. “Are you more willing to speak?”

The woman said nothing and simply looked to another one of the guards with pleading eyes.

“The princess isn’t here, sir.” The guard said in a familiar voice and Cassandra’s breath caught in her throat. The woman hung her head and the captain growled.

“Take them away!” He barked the order and she heard the music box break on the floor.

“Mama!” Her younger self ran forward as her parents were dragged away by the guards. She came to a halt when the guard who had spoken stood in front of her and crouched down.

He removed his helmet and Cassandra’s eyes welled with tears.

“It’s alright, little one,” he placed his helmet on the little girl's head and scooped her into his arms. “You’re safe with me.”

“I-I want my mama!” Her younger self cried.

Cassandra watched as the man who would go on to raise her as his own carried her away. 

She finally woke up.

Now, Cassandra stares at the princess from where she stood surrounded by the black rocks. The princess stares back at her with shock as she processes everything that she had told her.

“Cass, I--” she struggles to find the right words. “ _I’m sorry._ ”

“Sorry? You’re _sorry?_ ” She growls and the Moonstone sparks from its place on her chest. “My family was taken away from me because of _you_ , and you’re _sorry?!_ ”

“That’s not fair, Cassandra!” Eugene shouts. “She was _kidnapped!_ It wasn’t her fault!”

“Shove it, Fitzherbert, this is between her and me.”

“Cassandra,” Rapunzel takes a step forward and reaches out to her. “Please, let me help you.”

“I don’t need your help!” Cassandra snaps and rocks shoot up from the ground. “Just stay away from me!”

“Cass,” she takes another step forward, and this time her green eyes dart to the floor beside her and back to her face again.

Cassandra’s eyes narrow and she looks to her side and she feels a twang of guilt. Varian lies unconscious at her side, a pained expression on his face as the shockwaves of energy bouncing off him finally stop. Her fingers twitch as she reaches out to check on him, she freezes when the sound of the double doors opening echoes across the chamber.

“So, what did we m--” Lance stops himself when he feels the tension in the air and when Eugene shoots him a look.

The two members of the Brotherhood with him suddenly draw their weapons with looks of pure _rage_ on their faces. It was a normal look for Hector, he’ll admit, but he’s never seen Adira angry before, just annoyed. It’s frightening.

The raccoon on Hector’s shoulder suddenly jumps down. He scurries across the stone ground and to where his boy lies, chittering and pawing at him in an attempt to wake him.

The guilt Cassandra feels becomes worse when the boy doesn’t even stir.

“Cassandra,” she turns back to Rapunzel, expression hardening again. “Please, just… Give me the Moonstone.”

“You’ve taken enough from me already, _princess_ ,” she spats.

Rapunzel _glares_ at her now. “Cassandra, you are crossing the line, now give me the stone!” She commands, taking another step forward.

“I said stay back!” She surprises herself when the Moonstone flashes and black rocks shoot out from the ground, knocking the Sundrop back several feet. 

She doesn’t have the time to fully process it before Adira is charging forward, cutting through the rocks as if they were paper. She blocks the woman's attack with her arms.

“Release the Moonstone, Short Hair.” Adira glances at the boy at Cassandra’s feet and her eyes narrow dangerously at her. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with.” It was a warning, but Cassandra could tell she was referring to herself. About what she would do to her if she were to dare hurt the kid. But Cassandra wasn't playing games anymore.

“Neither do you!” A shockwave from the Moonstone sends the woman flying across the chamber. Her sword falls from above and into Cassandra’s waiting hand, he holds it to her back and the rocks form a sheath for it.

The young woman runs and the rocks follow her, knocking away anyone who tries to stand in her way.

“Cassandra!” Rapunzel calls after her. “Wait!”

Cassandra’s heart races in her chest as she runs down one of the many halls of the castle. She had just betrayed her best friend-- No, no, she’s not her friend! She never was!

“Cass!” she stops and turns around to Rapunzel. “Cassandra, please, we can fix this I--”

“And just _how_ do you intend to fix any of this? Are you going to go back in time and stop the guard from dragging my parents away? Are you going to bring them back?!”

“I-I don’t know! But we can figure it out, together! Just like we’ve always done!” Rapunzel pleads with her. “Please, Cass, you’re my friend I--”

“Friend?” Cassandra laughs. “Don’t make me laugh. I’m not your friend, I’m your _servant!_ That’s all I’ve ever been!”

“Cassandra, listen,”

“I’m listening.”

“You _know_ that’s not true,” Rapunzel takes a few cautious steps forward. “You’re my friend, and I promise, I’ll make this right.”

Cassandra’s eyes narrow and the Moonstone flashes. Black rocks grow from the ground, surrounding the princess and trapping her. She turns away from her. 

“The only thing that will ‘make this right’ is for Corona to fall.”

Varian groans and pushes himself onto his hands and knees. His head throbbed and he felt… Different. He blinks to clear his blurred vision and his mouth turns dry when he sees an all too familiar stone floor beneath him.

“Hello, my dear little Demanitus,” he whirls around and that girl, that _demon_ is perched on a broken stone arch above him, kicking her feet as she gazes down at him. “You slept well, I hope?” He responds with a glare. “Oh, don’t look at me like that.”

“What did you do?” he asks her, pushing himself to his feet.

“Dear, I’m thousands of years old, I’ve done many things. You’ll have to be specific.”

“ _To Cassandra._ ” He hisses.

“Ah, her.” Zhan Tiri casually examines her fingers. “I didn’t _do_ anything to her. I just helped her remember.”

“Remember what?”

“Who she is, and all the pain that fool you call a king has caused her.” The girl drifts down from her perch and approaches him. “This is your fault, you know.” She tells him and his shoulders tense. “If you had listened to me and taken the Moonstone yourself, I wouldn’t have had to stir up such _horrible_ memories in the poor dear.”

“I’ll--”

“You’ll _what?_ Reason with her? She’s chosen her path and there’s nothing you can do about it.” Zhan Tiri smiles sweetly at him, and he flinches when she hovers in front of him and cups his face. “But don’t worry, my dear,” her smile turns wicked and inhumanely wide. 

“This is only the beginning of our little game.”

Rapunzel runs outside after Cassandra. She had slowed her down with the rocks, but she was able to squeeze herself through them, and after that, all she had to do was follow the trail. Even now the rocks were pointing her to the Moonstone. 

To _Cassandra._

Her mind races as she chases after her. This wasn’t Cassandra. It couldn’t be! She would never turn her back on Corona like this!

She sees a mess of blue hair vanish over the ledge and she picks up the pace. The ground beneath her shakes as a bridge of black rocks crosses the chasm leading away from the castle, and Cassandra is walking across it.

She jumps down, the rocks cold under her bare feet, and runs forward, stopping only when Cassandra turns back to her. She gives her a hopeful smile and holds out her hand.

“Cassandra, _please._ ” Her heart sinks when the young woman draws the shadow blade and holds it high.

“You were right, princess,” She smirks. “I _am_ crossing the line.”

Rapunzel barely has the time to turn and run when Cassandra cuts through the bridge. The rocks break and crumble behind her falling into the chasm below. She collapses to her knees when they finally stop, turning around to see that Cassandra had vanished. Her heart swells and tears well in her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she says and puts her head in her hands.

Eugene winces as Maximus pulls the bandage around his arm a little too tight, but he doesn’t say anything. Now that the fighting was done and things have calmed down, it’s clear to him just how much pain everyone was in.

Between Edmund, the ghosts, and Cassandra… Everyone had wounds to lick.

He looks at Rapunzel when she takes his hand. He’s unable to read her expression, and he wants to ask about what happened, but… He’s not sure that he can. Instead, he follows her gaze to the others. Namely Varian.

The kid still hasn’t woken up from… Whatever happened with the Moonstone, and he was lying on the ground with his head in Adira’s lap and Hector’s fur cloak draped over him to protect him from the chill of the night air.

“How’s he doing?” Rapunzel asks quietly.

“He’s…” Eugene trails off, watching as Pascal makes himself visible on Ruddiger’s head. The chameleon’s tongue darts into the alchemist’s ear and he sits up with a start. Eugene smiles and Rapunzel lets out a sigh of relief at his side. “He just woke up.”

He squeezes her hand and his face falls. “How are _you_ doing?”

“Hm?” Rapunzel blinks at him. “I’m fine!”

Eugene raises an eyebrow. “You’re doing that thing,”

“What thing?”

“You know when you pretend everything’s all peachy when clearly it’s…” He trails off again when she gives him a very forced smile. “Sunshine, what Cassandra did--”

“Yeah! That was bad!” Rapunzel’s smile doesn’t falter as she pulls away from him. “Anyway,” she turns back to her party. “Alright everyone, the Moonstone’s gone so there’s no use sticking around here anymore!”

With that the princess turns on her heel and marches to the cliffs, muttering to herself about how exactly they cross to the other side while the group looks between one another.

“She’s awfully chipper for someone who was just stabbed in the back,” Hector comments, breaking the silence, and both Adira and Varian fix him with a glare. “What? It’s true.”

Varian rolls his eyes and hands him back his cloak as he stands up. Pascal chirps at him from his shoulder as he takes a wobbly step forward, and Ruddiger chitters from the ground but he straightens up and walks over to the princess.

“Let’s see, the gondolas are destroyed, the caves are blocked off, and there’s no bridge anywhere…” Rapunzel mumbles into her hand. “Hm…”

“R-Rapunzel?” The princess turns to him and she beams.

“Hey, how are you feeling?”

“F-fine,” he clears his throat. “I’m okay.” Varian begins wringing his hands together and he averts his gaze. “I… I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Rapunzel tilts her head with confusion. “What for?”

Varian curls in on himself and quietly says, “I couldn’t stop her…” He blinks in surprise when Rapunzel pulls him into a near bone-crushing hug.

“It’s okay, Varian,” she says, squeezing him tight. “None of this is your fault. But thank you, for trying to stop her.”

Zhan Tiri’s words echo in his head, telling him that yes, it is his fault, but he’d much rather believe in Rapunzel’s words instead. He hugs her back, pressing his forehead to her shoulder.

“So,” He pulls away a few moments later. “What now?”

“Well, I guess we go back to Corona and regroup.” Rapunzel turns back to what lies beyond the Dark Kingdom and frowns. “Only, I don’t know how to do that…” A flock of birds catches her eyes in the clouds above, and an idea pops into her head. She grins and Varian grimaces.

“We’re not turning into birds again, Rapunzel.”

“No, no, that's not it,” she turns to him. “How long do you think it’ll take you to build a hot air balloon?”

Varian puts a hand to his chin and hums in thought, and he grins at her. “Give me a day.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had such a hard time writing the first half of this? I tried to keep it in Cassandra's point of view like she was having that kind of dream where you're just sort of... Watching everything happen like it's a movie. I have those quite often myself...
> 
> But anyway, I won't say much but we haven't seen the last of Cassandra's parents. (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
> 
> I'll see you guys in the next update and thanks again for all your support! I hope this is a big of a hit as it's predecessor!


	2. Chapter II: Homeward Bound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel and company set off for Corona, but unfortunately, they have to make an unexpected stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much I wanted to do for this chapter, but all of it I decided was best to save for later, so have this instead

Varian stands back to look at his handy work. The hot air balloon, made from scraps he found around the castle, Edmund kind enough to let him take whatever he needed.

The envelope was crafted out of old sails and sheets he and the others had spent quite a long time stitching together, and the burner was made from old scrap metal from the armory.

The balloon’s basket was the only thing he didn’t have to put together, as whoever was in charge of engineering here had already begun construction on one, so all he had to do was patch up a few holes.

It wasn’t exactly pretty, but it was sturdy and functional, and that’s all that mattered right now.

“Are we ready to take off?” Rapunzel asks, joining him at his side.

“Yeah, we’re good to go,” Varian says through a yawn and rubs at his eyes.

Rapunzel smiles and rubs his back and turns to the others. “Alright, guys! We’re all set!”

“Are you sure you can’t come with us?” Varian asks the two members of the Brotherhood while Eugene and Lance load the balloon with what little supplies they had.

“I’m afraid our destinies are leading us down different paths,” Adira answers and his shoulders slump.

“What are you going to do now, then?”

Hector and Adira glance at one another, the woman shrugs and Hector is the one to answer, “We’re going after the girl.”

Varian’s chest tightens. Right, of course, they’d be going after Cassandra. He should have known. But, it was partly his fault that she got away, so should he be the one to go after her?

He looks back at the balloon for a second before turning back to the two, he goes to speak but Adira raising her hand silences him.

“I know what you’re thinking, and no, you can’t come with us.” She says sternly. “You belong in Corona.”

“But, I--” he pauses for a second. “I’ll see you again, won’t I?”

Adira smiles and puts her hand on his shoulder. “I’m positive that our paths will cross again, Varian.” 

“Yes,” the three of them turn to Edmund. “And hopefully when they do, Quirin will have recovered from his… ‘Coma’.”

Hector and Adira each give Varian a look and he grins sheepishly at them. Edmund clears his throat and their attention is back on him. He stares the boy down and he shifts nervously on his feet.

“Y-Your Majesty?” Varian stutters. Even when he wasn’t swinging an ax at him, he was intimidating, to say the least.

“What you did was stupid,” the king says, eyes narrowing slightly. “Throwing yourself at me, at the _Moonstone_ , despite knowing both times could have been your death.”

Varian goes to defend himself but instead, he blinks when the king presses something to his chest, and he catches it in his hands when he lowers his arm. 

“All to protect your friends,” the king adds, expression softening as Varian gawks at the item in his hand; a fibula pin similar to the ones worn by both Hector and the king himself. 

“Just like your father,” Edmund comments as the boy continued to stare wide-eyed at the pin. He pats the boy on the shoulder and adds, “Give Quirin my regards.”

Varian looks up as the king walks away, eyes darting between him and the pin in his hands. “What uh… What just happened?”

“I was right. He does like you.” Adira says with a proud smile and Hector drapes an arm over his shoulders.

“Welcome to the Brotherhood, kid.”

Varian lets out a nervous, breathless laugh. “Oh man, my dad’s gonna kill me.”

Eugene looks up when Edmund walks over to him, following his gaze to his knights and their protégé and noticing the way the man frowns upon seeing Varian wince when he rubs the back of his head.

“Perhaps I was too rough with him?” he hears him think aloud to himself.

“Well, considering you tried to _cut him in half?_ I think so.” he says, crossing his arms. He walks up to stand beside the king and asks, “Are… Are you coming?”

Edmund stills the bird on his shoulder cawing quietly. The man looks to the castle, both his home and his prison, looming over them. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath through his nose. “I’ve dedicated my life to guarding this place and the Moonstone… I don’t think I can leave just yet.”

Eugene gives him a gentle smile and pats his shoulder. “I get it. I’ll… See you around.”

Edmund smiles at his son as he goes to board the balloon, calling for Varian to finish saying his goodbyes. Both of them go still when they hear a low whine at their feet. Eugene frowns.

Cassandra’s puppy, Dog, sits at the edge of the cliff, ears pinned downward as he whines and stares out to where she had vanished. Eugene walks up to him and picks him up, scratching him behind the ears.

He glances at the broken bridge, and then to Rapunzel and they lock eyes. After a moment of silence between them she smiles and nods, and he turns back to Edmund.

“You know,” he begins. “This little guy’s gonna need someone to keep an eye on him while Cassandra’s doing… Whatever she’s doing, so why don’t you take him?” He suggests. “He can keep you and Hammy some company.”

Edmund blinks in surprise, and smiles as Eugene hands him the puppy. “I’ll take excellent care of him.”

Eugene smiles and hops into the basket, squeezing himself in with the others. “I’ll see you later.”

“Alright,” Rapunzel pulls a lever on the burner, causing the flames to grow hotter and the balloon to lift off the ground. She turns her gaze back to the Dark Kingdom and down to the broken bridge. Her stomach churns and she turns back to the view ahead of her and forces a smile. “Corona, here we come!”

Far down on the ground below, Cassandra watches the hot air balloon vanish from sight. Owl hoots from her shoulder and she looks away from the clouds.

“I know,” she says quietly when Owl hoots at her again. She gingerly touches the stone, a feeling of uncertainty bubbling in her chest.

She has the Moonstone, but… Now, what does she do? She can’t just storm Corona, she doesn’t even know how the damn thing works! And even if she did, Corona is _still_ her home, and it’s full of innocent people that never did anything to her.

Cassandra slides down to the ground, Owl moving to perch himself on the rock behind her as she leans her head back and screws her eyes shut. “Why do I feel like I just made the biggest mistake of my life?”

“It’s normal to feel as if you’ve made a mistake when you turn your back on a dear friend,” a sudden voice says and the young woman jumps to her feet. Cassandra turns to a familiar form hovering above the ground and scowls. “But don’t worry, it’s fleeting.”

“What do you want?”

The ghostly girl simply smiles at her, folding her hands neatly in front of her. “The same thing I wanted when we first met, Cassandra. To help you fulfill your destiny.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t want your help,” Cassandra tells her and walks away from her. “I can fulfill my destiny on my own.”

“If you insist,” Zhan Tiri says, smiling behind the young woman’s back before she vanishes.

“Well, I think we learned something,” Eugene says, watching as Varian climbs up a tree to free the envelope from its branches. They had set off for Corona a little over two weeks ago, but a mishap with the burner, the envelope, and a tree, they had to make an emergency landing. “Rusty old suits of armor do not a burner make..”

Varian shoots him a glare from his place in the tree. “We were doing just fine until _someone_ broke the valve on the burner. _Lance._ ”

Lance scoffs. “Well, maybe if another someone had made a clear ‘do not touch’ sign, it wouldn’t have broken.”

“I shouldn’t have to tell you, a grown man, not to touch something that makes _fire!_ ”

“Um, guys?” Rapunzel tries, eyeing the branch Varian’s on carefully.

Varian frees the envelope just as the branch beneath him breaks and he falls to the ground. Thinking fast, Rapunzel pulls her hair free from its ties and throws it around another tree and catches him before he can hit the ground.

“Why don’t we point fingers after the balloon is fixed,” she says, gently lowering him to the ground. “What’s the damage?”

“Well,” Varian inspects the envelope. “Just a tear by the looks of it, but we’re still grounded until I find the valve.” He looks up at the sky, tracing a path with his pointer. “Let’s see, it should be somewhere over that way,” he mumbles, pointing to a forest nearby.

“I’ll get to work stitching the balloon back together,” Rapunzel says, taking the fabric into her arms.

He gives her a nod and pulls his pack onto his back and Ruddiger climbs onto his shoulders. “Alright Lance, let’s go.”

“What? Why do I have to go?” Lance demands, but he follows him anyway.

“You broke it, you help find it.” Varian retorts, Rider, and Cuddles following after them. “It’ll be just like finding a needle in a haystack.”

Eugene sits across from Rapunzel, helping her sew the balloon back together with Pascal on his shoulder. He looks at Rapunzel, frowning at the way her face was scrunched up with anger. It just doesn’t look right on her at all.

“Sunshine?” he speaks, and she looks up at him. “Are you okay?”

“Of course I’m okay,” she responds. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“Well…” Eugene trails off, biting his lower lip, and Pascal gives him an encouraging chirp. “You’ve been… You haven’t been yourself since the whole… Cassandra thing.”

“Oh,” Rapunzel gives him a very obvious forced smile. “I’m fine! I’m just ready to get home, that’s all. I haven’t even _thought_ about… That person.”

Eugene frowns, watching as Rapunzel speeds up in her sewing and pricks her finger. “Rapunzel,” he sets aside the project and scoots up to her, taking her hands into his own. “Look, I understand if you’re not ready to talk about it yet, but… Whenever you are, I’m all ears.”

Rapunzel gives him a small smile and squeezes his hands. “I know. I just… I want to focus on getting home right now, you know?”

“I know,” Eugene kisses her forehead. “Now,” he pulls back. “Let’s get back to fixing this so we _can_ get home.”

Meanwhile, Varian and Lance scour the forest floor for the missing valve piece. Ruddiger and the dogs have taken to digging for it while Varian and Lance look through bushes.

“Man, you’d think something metal would stick out in the middle of the forest,” Lance comments and rubs the back of his head.

“Like I said; a needle in a haystack.” Varian mumbles. He takes a stick and uses it to bush back some poison oak, eyes scanning the ground for the valve.

Lance continues his search as the silence between them quickly becomes awkward. He clears his throat, and to break the silence he says, “I don’t know about you, but I am ready to get back to Corona.”

“I’ll admit, it will be nice to do my research in a proper lab with some peace and quiet,” Varian says.

“I bet you’re excited to see your dad again, huh?” Lance asks him and he stills.

Lance shifts on his feet, rubbing the back of his neck when Ruddiger hisses at him. “I-I mean, you have figured out how to save him… Right?”

Varian doesn’t answer him, turning him and the rest of the world out as his mind begins to race.

He still hasn’t found a way to save his father. They were going _home_ and he still hasn’t found the way to destroy the amber. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t hoping that unifying the Sundrop and Moonstone would fix things, it was the only hope he had, really, but then Cassandra…

He distantly hears Lance say his name.

He puts his hands in his hair as the voice in the back of his head fills his mind with the thoughts he’s tried so hard not to think of;

What if he’s dead? He has no real way of knowing that he’s still alive after all this time. No food, no water, being frozen in time like that for a _year?_. Logically speaking, he _shouldn’t_ be.

“Varian!” Lance shouts, bringing him back to reality. His voice sounds frantic and when Varian lowers his hands, he quickly finds out why.

A group of the black rocks had grown at his feet and his sides, glowing brightly as his heart raced in his chest.

Lance takes a step forward, stopping when the rocks surrounding Varian grow taller, coming up past his knees as he begins hyperventilating. “Varian,” he says his name calmly. “Varian, I need you to breathe with me, okay?”

Lance coaches Varian through his breathing and slowly takes another step towards him. “That’s it, you’re doing great.” He tells him and the rocks begin to retract. “I’m going to touch you now, is that okay?”

Varian gives him a nod and carefully he puts his hands on his shoulders. “Good, now, just focus on your breathing.”

They stay like this for a few minutes, and Lance continues to coach Varian on his breathing until he’s positive he’s got it back under control. The rocks around him completely retract into the earth once he’s calmed down, and Lance squeezes his shoulders.

“Th-th-that was uh… I uh…I-I’m sorry…” Varian says once he’s caught his breath. “H-How did you know that would help?”

“It’s how Eugene would help me when I had my moments when we were kids,” Lance answers with a smile. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah, I’m fine… I just started thinking about my dad and--” he swallows hard. “What if he’s… What if he’s gone?”

Lance frowns, squeezing his shoulders a bit tighter. “I don’t know,” he answers quietly. “But what I do know; is that no matter what happens when we get back to Corona, be it with your dad, or with Cassandra, or whatever, you won’t be alone.” He smiles at him. “You’ll have all of us with you; Eugene, Rapunzel, and your favorite handsome rouge.”

Varian snorts as Lance runs his hand over his head as one would smooth back their hair. “Th-Thanks Lance.”

“What are friends for?”

Ruddiger chitters at Varian from his side, and he picks him up, letting him curl around the back of his neck. Varian eyes the dirt where it had been disturbed by the black rocks, his eyebrows pinching together in confusion.

“Did they… React to me?” he asks himself out loud.

“I may not know much about all this magic stuff,” Lance begins. “But if you ask me, I’d say they were trying to protect you just now. You know, like how the princesses hair protects her from time to time?”

Varian blinks at him. “That’s… A really good theory, Lance. But… I’ve been in _real_ danger plenty of times, why would they start now?”

“Maybe it has to do with whatever happened when you tried to wrestle Cassandra for the Moonstone?” Lance suggests. “I mean, it did give you another hair stripe, so maybe it gave you more of its power?”

Varian hums in thought. It’s true, something _did_ happen to him when he touched the Moonstone, but he hadn’t even begun to consider that it had given him more of its power. He groans and throws his head back to look at the treetops above him.

“This is why I prefer alchemy and--” his voice catches in his throat when he sees a metal object caught between two branches. “The valve!”

Rapunzel and Eugene have long since finished stitching the balloon, and the princess was begging to worry when Lance and Varian had yet to return from their quest to find the missing vale piece.

“What if they’re lost?” she asks, pacing back and forth. “We should go look for them.”

“Blondie, the kid has a map, I’m sure they’re fine.”

“But--”

“We’re back!” Rapunzel stops her pacing and Eugene stands up as Varian and Lance return. “And we’ve got the valve,” Varian announces with a smile. “Just give me a few minutes and we’ll be back in the air in no time.”

With that, he gets to work on repairing the burner, and true to his word, Varian has the balloon ready to take off in a matter of minutes. They once again boarded the crowded basket and took off into the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I originally panned for this chapter to play out like Rapunzel's Return. They go home, but everything's gone to shit, but because I didn't know how to do that without using the Separatists, of whom I don't wish to use yet, I decided to give you guys some good old fashioned Lance and Varian bonding instead. (besides, they went through so much in Beyond, they need a bit of a break before things get real)
> 
> Also more Moon Varian wahoo.
> 
> fun fact: Hector was almost the one to take Dog, but I decided to let Edmund keep him for a while uwu
> 
> But anyway, I will see you guys in the next update and that's when the ball will (hopefully) really starts rolling because talks will be had with a couple of dads. *wink wonk*


	3. Chapter III: Rapunzel's Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a year away, Rapunzel is finally home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all ready for... Talks about questionable decisions?

Eugene stares out into the horizon, the wind blowing through his hair as he grips the rope that attaches the basket to the balloon as he struggles to keep himself awake. It’s early in the morning, the sun has only just begun to rise, and he was the only one awake. Mostly because he’s the only one besides Rapunzel that Varian trusts to work the burner, and it was his turn to man it while the others slept.

The balloon basket was far more cramped than the caravan, so everyone had to squeeze themselves into the least uncomfortable position that they could. Shorty was the only other one besides Pascal that was comfortable in any position, and Eugene envied him for that.

A tower in the distance catches his attention and he straightens up. The clouds part, showing him a familiar skyline and he smiles brightly.

“Blondie,” he turns to Rapunzel where she leans against the side of the basket with Varian curled up under her arm. “Hey, Blondie, wake up.”

She stirs, and blinks at him tiredly and rubs her eye. “What is it, Eugene?” she yawns.

“We’re home, Rapunzel.”

Come mid-morning, Rapunzel is bouncing on her heels as the balloon touches down in the castle's courtyard. She jumps out of the basket and spins around with open arms, laughing happily.

“We’re home!” she exclaims with another spin. “Oh, I can’t believe how much I’ve _missed_ everything!”

“And I can’t believe how much I missed having the option to not be around any of you constantly,” Eugene says, hopping out of the balloon. “No offense, boys, but we have been together far too long.”

“None taken,” Varian yawns and stretches his arms over his head. “It’ll be nice to not have people, Lance,” he coughs the man's name into his fist. “Touching my stuff anymore.”

Lance huffs and rests his elbow atop Varian’s head. “Well, I for one, cannot wait to sleep in an actual bed.”

“Guys!” Rapunzel grabs Eugene by the arm and pulls him up the stairs. “Come on!”

She’s bubbling with excitement as she leads her friends down the long halls of the castle, saying hello to every maid or guard that they pass as she beelines directly to the throne room.

Rapunzel throws the doors open and stands in the doorway, staring wide-eyed at her parents across the room. Her heart flutters in her chest and for a moment she’s back on the balcony and seeing them for the first time. A bright smile makes itself known on her face and she runs forward, meeting Arianna in the middle of the throne room and hugging her tight.

“Mom!” she rests her head on her shoulder, smiling up at her father as he pulls both of them into his arms. “Dad! I’ve missed you so much!” She says, blinking back tears as she melts in her mother's embrace.

“Oh, Rapunzel,” Arianna kisses the side of her head as Frederick squeezes them both. “Welcome home.”

Eugene hums to himself as he changes into some clean clothes. Arianna had invited everyone to a nice brunch, what would be their first proper meal since their stay at the House of Yesterday’s Tomorrow, so everyone had set off to their rooms to freshen up.

As he’s pulling on his usual white shirt, there’s a knock at the door. “Come in,” he calls, and his stomach drops when the captain steps into the room. “C-Captain!” he clears his throat. “Looking good, loving the stache,” he says regarding the man’s mustache. “Are you using a new styling cream?”

“Fitzherbert,” the captain disregards his attempts at small talk. He closes the door. “Why was Cassandra with you when you returned?”

Eugene licks his lower lip, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt as the captain stares him down.

“Where is my daughter?”

“... You might want to sit down, Cap.”

Down the hall, Varian drops his pack on his desk, and rifles through it. He pulls out the broken spearhead of the Deamnitus Spear and sets it aside to examine later. He digs out his pocket journal and the pin he had received from Edmund, staring at them both.

A slip of paper sticks out from his journal like a bookmark, prompting him to set the pin on the desk and pull it free. He unfolds it, finding it to be worn, the edges torn in numerous places, and the ink on it had begun to fade over time. He reads the faded text aloud;

“The answer you seek lies within the Great Tree…”

He can almost hear Demantius’ voice in his head as he stares at it with mild confusion. “What were we supposed to find?” he asks himself and begins flipping through his journal.

He flips through page after page of formulas and equations, smiling to himself as they slowly blend into sketches that take up entire pages, a habit he picked up from Rapunzel. 

Varian pauses when he comes across the journal entry he made while they were camping in the Great Tree. It took up two pages, on one page he had drawn the sun, the Sundrop, and the Sunflower and had written the healing incantation beside the drawings.

The other page is just the same, only the moon, Moondrop, and black rocks had taken the place of their sunny counterpart.

His eyes fall onto the Decay Incantation, reading the words to himself as he recalls that feeling of dread that had washed over him when Rapunzel first recited it. He can still hear the melody, still, hear her voice echo in the back of his head.

He looks back to the fortune, and then back to the incantation and back to the fortune again. He then looks to Ruddiger and Rider, both animals sitting on his bed, staring at him with curiosity.

“You two don’t think that the incantation was what we were supposed to find, do you?” he asks them, and Rider tilts her head, causing one of her large and floppy ears to fall into her face while Ruddiger chitters in thought.

A knock at the door catches all of their attention. “Come in,” he calls and the door opens, revealing the princess in her casual purple dress. She enters the room and closes the door gently behind her, eyes locked on the rug. “Rapunzel?”

“Varian, about what you saw in the House of Yesterday’s Tomorrow… I--”

“It’s okay,” he cuts her off. “I mean, you’ve been home for what? An hour? Maybe two? I don’t expect you to bring it up any time soon.” He says, turning back to his journal. “After everything, we’ve been through you deserve some time to relax.”

Rapunzel stares at him quietly and studies his face. His eyes were glued to his journal, now balanced in one hand and the other at his chin as he mumbles something to himself. 

_You promised!_ The words were as clear as day in her head and she clenches her fists.

“No,” Rapunzel says firmly, and he looks at her again. “I am _not_ breaking another promise to you _ever_ again.”

Varian gives her a small smile and closes his journal, setting down on the desk before crossing the room to hug her. She returns his hug, gripping the back of his shirt tightly.

“I know you’re still mad at me,” she says quietly. “I let you down and I am so, so sorry.”

“I’m… Not all that angry anymore,” he says. “I mean… I’m still hurt, and I don’t know if I’ll ever _not_ be hurt by what happened, but I understand that you had to put Corona first. But if you hadn't come when you did… I don’t know what I would have done.”

Rapunzel hugs him tighter when he hides his face in the crook of her neck. “We’re going to get to the bottom of this, Varian. The truth about the rocks and Corona, the amber… I promise.”

Varian pulls away from her and rubs the back of his neck. “I um… I may have an idea to save my dad.”

Eugene fiddles with his thumbs, unable to look the captain in the eye as he finishes telling him of Cassandra’s betrayal and her reasoning behind it. The man has remained silent, unmoving from where he sat at the foot of Eugene’s bed until he lets out a deep sigh, and Eugene looks up.

“She wasn’t supposed to remember,” he says quietly and Eugene’s eyebrows furrow.

“What do you mean she wasn’t supposed to remember?” he asks. “I know I’m speaking out of turn, but you think you would have, I don’t know, told her what happened to her parents instead of lying to her for her whole life?”

“It’s not that simple, Fitzherbert.”

“Maybe not, but right now, as far as Cassandra is concerned her parents were dragged off for a crime they did not commit, and you _kidnapped_ her!”

Eugene braces himself to be yelled at, but instead, the man before him puts his head in his hands. “I know,”

“You… You do?”

The captain stands from the bed and looks at Eugene. “You’re right, I should have been upfront but Eden… She thought it would be better for Cassandra this way.” His expression hardens. “Now if you excuse me. I’m going to go look for my daughter.”

Eugene follows the man with his eyes, eyebrows knit together with confusion. He turns away from the doorway and slips on his vest.

“Something fishy’s going on,” he says to himself. And whatever it is, it’s hurting his friends. His _family,_ and he’s not going to stand for it. “And I’m going to find out what.”

Rapunzel is seated between Eugene and her mother, fiddling with the tablecloth as the maids serve them their brunch. She steals a glance at Varian who’s seated on Eugene’s other side, and she swallows the growing lump in her throat.

“So, Rapunzel,” Arianna draws her attention. “Where did the black rocks take you?”

“Oh, they took us to so many places!” She exhales, quickly becoming excited. They took us to the Spire, the Great Tree, Courmont, a labyrinth built by Lord Demanitus himself, and then finally to the Dark Kingdom!” She looks at Eugene with a smile.

Eugene blinks at her as she looks at him expectantly. “Okay,” he gives a defeated sigh, but he smiles just the same. “You can tell them.”

Her eyes sparkle and she turns back to her parents. “Eugene is the _prince_ of the Dark Kingdom!”

Frederick chokes on his drink and Arianna gawks at Eugene. The man laughs nervously and clears his throat. “Yeah, it turns out my dad is still alive and is the king of a desolate kingdom no longer able to sustain life. Who knew, right?”

“That’s wonderful, Eugene.” Arianna is the first of them to speak. “I’m happy you’ve found your family.”

Eugene smiles, taking Rapunzel’s hand under the table. “I found my family long before the Dark Kingdom, your majesty.”

Rapunzel smiles at him and squeezes his hand. She turns back to her parents, and looks at her father, licking her lower lip as she feels nervous again. “Before I tell you any more stories, I…” she closes her eyes and takes a breath. “Dad, I have to ask you something.”

A hush falls over the table and Frederick looks at her. “Of course, darling. What is it?”

“Were you- Did you…” she pauses, struggling to find the right words. She takes another breath. “Dad, did you know about the black rocks before they started growing in Corona?”

All eyes are on the king, and Arianna takes note of how his fingers twitch on the table. “No. I didn’t.”

Rapunzel’s eyes narrow at this. “Really? Because I’ve had people tell me otherwise.” Her chest tightens as the tension at the table becomes thick enough to cut with a knife. “Tell me the truth, dad. I have the right to know.”

The king stands from the table and looks her in the eye. He’s silent for a moment before letting out a sigh. “Rapunzel, could we speak about this in private?”

Arianna grabs him by the hand before he could leave. “Whatever it is you have to say, you can say in front of all of us.” She looks to Eugene, Lance, and Varian. “I’m positive that not a single word will leave this room.”

The three of them nod and Frederick sits back down. All eyes are on him again and he shifts in his seat.

“As I’m sure all of you know, just days before you were born, Rapunzel, your mother fell deathly ill. I was desperate to save her, to save you, so I sought out the miracle of the Sundrop Flower.”

“But what I never told anyone was, that night, I was warned,” the king's eyes fell on Varian for a brief moment. “Quirin came to me, he told me what I would unleash onto the world if I took the Sunflower, that by removing the light I would be awakening the darkness.”

He tightly closes his eyes, the warning clear as day in the back of his mind. “But I had no choice,” he says softly. “I’ve known about the black rocks all this time. I tried to deny it and ignore the problem, I refused to see that they were the result of my actions. But I…” he trails off and sighs deeply.

“I couldn’t lose my family.”

No one utters a word as a heavy silence fills the room. Rapunzel balls her hands into fists on her lap and screws her eyes shut. Her ears ring loudly in the silence. She didn’t want to believe it when Varian told her what he had seen, but now, hearing it from her father, she has no choice but to believe it.

The silence is suddenly disrupted by the sound of a chair scraping against the floor, and all eyes are on Varian as he stands from the table. The boy goes to say something but closes his mouth and storms out of the room.

Rapunzel stands next, fists clenched tightly at her sides. “Do you know how many towns we saw that were destroyed by the rocks?” she asks her father. “Do you have any idea how many _lives_ were ruined because of them? Because of what _you_ did?”

She turns away from him and walks to the door, Eugene and Lance on her heels. She stops at the doorway and glances over her shoulder.

“You know, King Edmund may be the king of a desolate kingdom no longer able to sustain life, but at least _he_ was willing to make sacrifices for the good of his people.”

“Rapunzel, wait, please, I--” The doors slam shut and he slumps back in his chair. He looks to Arianna, her expression unreadable as she rises from the table.

“You know, Frederick,” she begins. “As a _mother_ I understand why you did what you did. I can’t say that I wouldn’t have done the same. But as a _queen,_ ” she looks at him, disappointment evident in her green eyes. 

“No matter the reason, no matter how much it would destroy me, I could _never_ knowingly put my kingdom in danger.”

With that, she tears her eyes away from him and leaves the room, leaving the king alone with his thoughts.

“So…” Eugene breaks the silence in Rapunzel’s room as the princess paces back and forth. “That was… Tense.” He looks up at his girlfriend and frowns. “Blondie, are you okay?”

“Am I okay?” She stops pacing and turns to him. “How could I possibly be okay knowing that countless lives were ruined because of me? That the entire _world_ is at stake because of me?”

“It’s not your fault, Rapunzel,” Varian says from his place on Rapunzel’s bed. “You’re not responsible for your father’s actions.”

Rapunzel sits down next to him, gripping her skirt tightly as Pascal chirps at her from her side.

Her father knew what would happen if he took the Sunflower. Taking the Sunflower resulted in her being kidnapped by Gothel when she was just a day old, which resulted in her father cracking down on crime and arresting anyone who broke the law, locking them away never to be seen again no matter how petty the crime. 

Including Cassandra’s parents. Separatists or not, they shouldn’t have been punished for a crime they didn’t commit.

How many children had their parents taken away from them?

How many people suffered unfair punishments for crimes they may not have even committed?

Then the rocks started sprouting up in Corona and nearly destroyed Old Corona, forcing many from their homes. If it weren’t for the rocks then Varian wouldn’t have been trying so hard to get rid of them, and then Quirin wouldn’t be trapped in the amber.

She may not be able to turn back the clock to prevent any of this from happening, but she can do something about it now.

“You’re right, Varian.” She stands from the bed again. "But even if it's not my fault, I am going to be the one to fix this. All of this.” Rapunzel looks at him with determination. “Starting with your dad. We’re doing the plan.”

“The plan?” Eugene asks, raising an eyebrow. “What plan?”

“One that we only just came up with,” Varian stands and looks at Rapunzel with concern. “Rapunzel, I… We haven’t even discussed all the variables!”

“Then we’ll discuss them on the way,” she takes him by the hand and pulls him out of the room. “Come on, if we leave now we’ll get to Old Corona by nightfall. Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Freddy's in trouble and will sleep on the Royal Couch until further notice. 
> 
> Edmund really IS a better king than Frederick, I mean... He saw that his kingdom was dying, and while yes, he nearly destroyed it by trying to destroy the Moonstone, he did it FOR the good of his people, and unlike Frederick, he actually had the face the consequences of his actions.
> 
> *Casually names Cassandra's mom after her voice actress because I can do what I want*
> 
> Also don’t worry, The gangs season three outfits will be worn in this au, for now they’re just in something comfy and casual.


	4. Chapter IV: Break These Earthly Chains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel keeps her promise to a dear friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy day after mothers day here's a Dad.
> 
> I have no idea why but this chapter was super hard to write. I had a complete block over the weekend and I was constantly rewriting the same paragraph and I finally got my mojo back today and ugh
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy it regardless.

Maximus trots steadily through Old Corona, his gaze focused ahead of him as he carries Rapunzel and Varian to the old manor at the edge of the village. Rapunzel grips his reins as she looks around, delighted to see that the black rocks had receded since their departure for the Dark Kingdom, allowing for the villagers to return and rebuild their homes.

She glances at Varian over her shoulder and goes to speak, stopping herself when she sees him staring past her. She turns back, pulling Maximus to a stop as they reach the manor.

Rapunzel stares up at it, trying to remember if it had always been that big. She feels Varian’s arms pull away from her middle as he dismounts and he steps up to the house.

She watches him for a moment, turning away only when she hears the sound of hooves, looking back at Eugene and Lance as they ride up behind her.

Varian’s stomach tied in a knot as he stares up at his home, his hands trembling as he tightly grips the straps of his pack. He hasn’t set foot inside since his failed attempt with the petal, and he’s scared of what he might find when he opens the door.

His mind starts coming up with the worst-case scenario again, that even if his and Rapunzel’s plan works, and they destroy the amber, that his father will be-- A gentle hand on his shoulder pulls him from his thoughts.

He looks back at Rapunzel, Eugene, and Lance, all of them with a reassuring smile on their face, and he relaxes, giving them a small smile before turning back to the manor. He’s not going to be alone, no matter what happens, he’ll have his friends to help him. 

Rapunzel tells Eugene and Lance to wait for them outside and takes Varian’s hand, linking their fingers together. Varian squeezes her hand and leads her inside. 

Rapunzel stares at the amber, feeling guilty as she and Varian wrap sections of her hair around it. If she had just come with him when he asked, then maybe things would be different. Maybe she could have saved him and they wouldn’t have to resort to using the incantation.

They have no real way of knowing if it was even going to work. It was a complete shot in the dark, but it was their only option. And even if it does work and it destroys the amber, what if she can’t stop and she kills them? She could never live with herself if that happened.

She shakes her head. No. This is going to work. It _has_ to work.

“Are you ready…?” she asks him quietly.

“No,” he answers, turning to face the amber. “But I don’t have a choice.”

Rapunzel takes hold of her hair and closes her eyes. She takes a breath and says, “Wither and decay, end this destiny. Break these earthly chains, and set the spirit free.”

Varian watches as Rapunzel’s hair turns black with an amber glow flowing through it. He tightly grips the bucket of water in his arms, swallowing hard as the feeling of dread washes him and the melody fills his head again.

_Wither and decay_

He turns back to the amber, tears springing to his eyes when sees that it’s _melting!_

“It’s working…!” He takes a step forward, ignoring the way a section of Rapunzel’s hair had wrapped around him like before.

_End this destiny_

“ _Dad!_ ” he sobs, as his father slumps forward, still supported by the amber around his middle. He whirls back around to Rapunzel, deep in her trance, and he throws the water on her, only for her to be unphased by it as it sizzles away.

_Break these earthly chains_  
_And set the spirit free_

“Rapunzel!”

_The spirit free_

Varian hesitantly reaches for her, Cassandra’s screams of agony blending with the melody, but he ignores it and touches her. Nothing happens, his hand doesn’t burn and all he feels is his hair creeping up his arms and legs. 

“Rapunzel, please!” he pleads with her, placing both hands on her shoulders. “Wake up…” 

The princess stares blankly at him, unmoving as he gingerly touches her face. “Rapunzel, please… You’re my big sister, I-I love you, and I… I’m not giving up on you.”

Rapunzel’s eyes slip closed, and the dark magic that had taken hold of her finally let's go. Her hair returns to its normal golden blonde color and her eyes snap open as she lets out a gasp.

She stumbles forward, Varian catching her before she can fall. She tightly grips his arms, blinking at him with mild confusion before smiling. She hugs him tightly when he throws his arms around her neck and thanking her over and over again.

“I love you too,”

Quirin coughs heavily, desperately gulping down air as he regains his senses. The wind is knocked out of him when something slams itself into his chest. Trembling arms hug him tightly around his neck, and the sound of muffled sobbing reaches his ears as his vision clears. He looks down, smiling at the sight of a familiar mop of messy black hair.

“Varian,” he hugs his son tightly. “Shh, shh, it’s alright. I’m here, I’m not going anywhere.”

He holds Varian close to him and rubs circles into his back until he stops trembling. He meets the princess’s gaze and gives her a nod, silently thanking her for everything she’s done.

She nods back, smiling warmly as she rises to her feet and quietly takes her leave.

Eugene leans against the manor as he, Lance, and the horses patiently await the results of Rapunzel’s and Varian’s experiment. He taps his fingers on his arm, resisting the urge to go inside. They had been in there for a while now, and he was starting to fear the worse.

He pushes himself away from the wall when Rapunzel finally steps outside, quietly closing the door behind her. He bites his lower lip, unable to read her expression. He goes to speak, to ask her what happened, but he’s silenced when she all but jumps into her arms with a wide smile.

She pulls away, pulling him down into a kiss and takes his hand. “Let’s go home.” 

Varian pulls away to wipe at his eyes and hiccups. “Dad, I--” his voice catches in his throat when he sees the note his father had written lying in the liquid amber. He goes to pick it up, only for it to fall apart in his hand. “The note! Dad, what did… What did it say? I-I have to know.”

Quirin cups the back of his head, drawing his attention back to him. “It said that I’m _sorry_ , Varian.” 

Varian’s eyebrows knit together and he eyes his father with confusion, silently prompting him to continue.

“I know I haven’t been as good a father as I could have been, and that I haven’t done right by you. I’ve kept so much a secret from you, about the rocks, about myself and where I come from…” he trails off into a sigh. “You didn’t deserve that, and I’m so sorry. And son?”

He cups his face and smiles. “I am so _proud_ of you, Varian. I always have been.”

Varian smiles at him and hugs him again, digging his fingers into the back of his fur vest. “I love you, dad.”

“I love you too, son.”

Quirin’s legs are a bit shaky as Varian helps him from the cellar and into the main room of their home. He lets out a quiet grunt as he sits down in his chair, smiling as Ruddiger climbs into his lap, chittering happily and nuzzling him.

He blinks at the dog sitting in front of him and holds out his hand for her to sniff while Varian promptly dumps the contents of his pack onto the floor in search of something. 

He quickly finds what he was looking for, and the fireplace comes to life. Quirin smiles at him as he stands and he finally takes notice of how much he’s _changed_.

He’s gotten taller, not by much, mind you, but enough that he was able to notice. His arms weren’t as thin as they once were either, having built up some more muscle. The blue stripe in his hair had split off into two, and while it does strike him as odd, he chooses to ignore it for now.

“You’ve grown so much,” he comments. “Just how long was I in there?”

“Oh, heh, you know, a little over a year,”

“A year?” Quirin stares down at him with disbelief. It doesn’t at all feel like it’s been that long. Varian had left to find help an hour ago! But what concerns him the most is the boy’s habit of forgetting to sleep and eat when he’s on his own for too long. He reaches and takes him by the arm. “Please, Varian, please tell me you weren’t alone all that time.”

Varian smiles at him. “Of course not. I was with Rapunzel and Eugene, and Lance, and… And Cassandra…” he trails off, visibly deflating as he mentions her name. 

Quirin furrows his brow as Varian seems to be deep in thought about something. Something must have happened between him and the young lady. He goes to ask, but he stops himself when his son continues what he was saying.

“Rapunzel had me move into the castle, and they took good care of me.” He averts his gaze and rubs at the back of his neck. “She- She uh…” He takes a breath and says, “Rapunzel let me join her party to follow the rocks after they laid a path for her, and that path led us to the Dark Kingdom so she could reunite the Sundrop with the Moonstone, and I kind of joined the Brotherhood…?” 

Quirin blinks at him and he grins sheepishly. “K-King Edmund sends, uh, his- his regards.”

Varian shifts nervously on his feet as his father remains silent. He never knows what his father is thinking and his current expression is completely unreadable. “D-Dad, I know that you never wanted me to find out about the Dark Kingdom, or the Moonstone, or Brotherhood but I… I-I know now and I--” he blinks in surprise when he’s pulled into another tight embrace.

“It’s not that I never wanted you to know about those things,” Quirin tells him. “I did, it’s just…” he sighs heavily and pulls away, placing his hands on Varian’s shoulders. “Varian, when those rocks started growing in Corona I was _terrified._ I had already lost so much to them, my home, my family… I couldn’t bear to lose anything to them again. Least of all you.”

“I know that keeping you in the dark about the rocks wasn’t the right thing to do but I… I couldn’t risk you getting involved with them and getting hurt.”

“I-I know, but…” Varian trails off, averting his gaze. He wrings his hands together before looking back at his father. “It felt like you didn’t trust me, Dad. It’s always felt like th-that no matter how hard I try, all I do is let you down and disappoint you…” 

“Oh, Varian.” Quirin pulls him into another hug. “You’re anything but a disappointment to me, son. And I can’t even begin to tell you how _proud_ I am of you. You never cease to amaze me, Varian.”

Varian pulls away from him. “When I first learned about the Brotherhood, I… I felt like I didn’t know who you were anymore,” he says and rubs his arm. “Part of me still feels that way…”

“I’m more than happy for you to get to know that side of me, Varian,” Quirin says with a gentle smile. “But only if you let me get to know the young man you’ve become in return.”

Varian smiles brightly. “I’d like that.”

Rapunzel hums to herself as she combs out her hair for the night. She sits on her window seat, gazing out at the stars with a small smile on her face. There’s a light knock at her door and she smiles when Eugene steps inside the room, eyes twinkling at the sight of the cupcake in his hand.

“Hey, Sunshine,” he greets her, crossing the room to join her at the window. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m alright, a bit tired. That incantation always makes me feel a little woozy.” Rapunzel says, setting her hair comb aside and taking the cupcake, grinning at Pascal when he steals the cherry on top. She smiles softly as he recalls the way Varian’s eyes lit up when his father was freed. “But it was worth it.”

Eugene puts an arm around her when she leans on him and rests his head on top of hers. He’s not overly fond of Quirin. Just based on the one time they met, the way Varian had always put himself down because he never got any praise from his old man, and the way he acted during the whole top thing, told him he wasn’t as good a father as the kid would let you believe. 

But, both Rapunzel and Varian are happy and that’s enough for him. Of course, if his doubts were ever proven to be justified, they would be having words.

“Eugene?” Rapunzel pulls him from his thoughts and he hums in response. “I… I think I’m ready to talk about Cass.”

Eugene smiles gently and pulls her closer. “I’m all ears.”

Elsewhere, far from Corona, Cassandra stares at her reflection in the black rocks. She’s unable to recognize herself, electric blue hair and eyes, her complexion was noticeably paler and she just didn’t look like herself.

She touches the Moonstone, feeling its power flow through her before she extends her hand to the rocks.

They give no reaction. Not even a hint of a glow.

She grits her teeth and her arm shakes as she concentrates on making them do something. _Anything_ that would make her feel as if she hasn't made a mistake. When nothing happens she lets out a frustrated cry and drops to her knees. Her hands fly to her hair and she tugs at it.

“Why isn’t it working?!” she demands. The rocks reacted to her and bent to her will back in the Dark Kingdom, so why not now?

“Because you’re doubting yourself, Cassandra.”

Cassandra growls and removes her hands from her hair. “I thought I told you to get lost?”

Zhan Tiri offers the young woman a smile and glides over to her. “You told me that you didn’t need my help fulfilling your destiny, but you didn’t say anything about me ‘getting lost’.” 

Cassandra’s eyes narrow at her but she doesn't respond.

“I only wish to help you learn to control the Moonstone and make its power yours, Cassandra.” the girl says sweetly. “The Moonstone responds to hatred and anger, you mustn't be afraid to delve into your darkest emotions.”

Cassandra looks away from her, facing the formation of rocks before her. A chill runs down her spine when the ghostly girl places a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“Remember what you’ve been through, Cassandra. What _she_ put you through, and use that fury.”

Cassandra gazes at her injured hand, tightly gripping the grass with her other hand as she feels Zhan Tiri’s presence fade away, only to quickly be replaced by another. She grabs the hilt of Adira’s, no, _her_ sword and locks blades with a familiar face.

“Hector,” she sneers, lips curling into a smirk.

“Return the Moonstone, girl.” He tells her. “And maybe I’ll go easy on ya.”

“Yeah, I don’t think so,” she leaps back several feet and Hector grins.

“Suit yourself,”

Cassandra lunges at him, launching herself off the ground and swinging her sword at him, only for Hector to simply step out of the way. The blade slams into the ground, and just as she pulls it free, Hector easily kicks her in the ribs and sends her stumbling back.

“You want to try that again?” he taunts her, easily blocking her next attack with his sword. He scoffs, knocking her back again. “You know, after everything the kid had to say about you, I expected… More.”

“Oh, I’m just getting started.” Cassandra smiles and wipes the corner of her mouth with her fist. She lunges at him once again, but this time, rather than step aside, Hector blocks her attack again and knees her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her.

He kicks her away, the shadow blade falling from her hand as she struggles to catch her breath. While her armor may protect her from being cut by a sword, it does very little to protect her from the impact of being hit and thrown around.

“You have the power of the most dangerous object in the _world_ at your disposal, but you’re still the same girl from the Great Tree,” Hector says, circling her with his sword pointed at her. “In over her head with no idea what she’s doing.”

His words sting as she glares up at him, and she pushes herself onto her hands and knees.

“Now,” he crouches in front of her. “ _Lady in waiting_ , why don’t you just hand over the stone and hurry back to your princess where you belong, hm?”

Cassandra sees _red_ , and the Moonstone flashes. Black rocks burst out of the ground, one after the other as they rush towards the man before her. She stands and picks up her blade, and just as suddenly as the rocks had burst from the dirt, they stopped.

She stares at Hector, the merciful part of her grateful that he was still on his feet, though bleeding from multiple wounds and breathing heavily and gripping his side. She must have cracked a few of his ribs. She smirks as his knees give out and he collapses to the ground.

“I am nobody’s servant,” she says, returning her sword to the sheath on her back and she turns away from him. “Not anymore. Now get lost before I change my mind about letting you live."

Zhan Tiri steeples her fingers together, watching intently as Cassandra leaves the Brother to his own devices and raises an eyebrow in curiosity. She fades from view only to reappear beside the young woman.

“How… Merciful of you to let him live after he insulted you in such a way,” she says, choosing to ignore the way Cassandra rolls her eyes. “If I were in your shoes I would have destroyed him without a second thought.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not like you.”

“Perhaps not,” Zhan Tiri smiles. “But we’re not so different, you and I.”

Cassandra stops in her tracks and turns to the girl. “What do you mean?”

“We both want the same thing; for Corona to be turned into ash.” The ghostly girl looks up at her with large eyes. “I truly long to help you, Cassandra. To help you right the wrongs that have befallen you and countless others.”

Cassandra doesn’t respond and looks away from her, staring at the night sky where Owl circles overhead. She closes her eyes and sighs.

"Fine," she says quietly, and a smile tugs at Zhan Tiri's lips. "Help me turn Corona to ash."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mmm, Zhan Tiri's won Cass over oooooooh boy here we goooooooo
> 
> god I hope I wrote Quirin well.


	5. Chapter V: The Tomb of Demanitus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian seeks out what he'll need should Zhan Tiri return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *wheezes* OKAY SO, I had like... A bunch of different things I tried to do with his chapter. But nothing stuck and nothing was good enough to be a chapter on it's own, or I just didn't want to do it yet.
> 
> So here's the only thing that did stick.

Cassandra stares up at the outline of the Dark Kingdom. It’s been at least a month, maybe even longer, since the others left, likely to return to Corona, and she _knows_ she should be going too. But she’s not ready yet. She can’t face them. She can’t face _her._

Not yet.

She also knows that she shouldn’t be listening to an ancient demon known for having a lust for pure destruction. She doesn’t trust her as far as she can throw her, and considering she’s a ghost that she can’t physically touch, she can’t throw her all that far.

But… She’s the only one who knows how the stone works and the only one willing to help her control it. So, she’s taking her chances.

Cassandra turns away and extends her hand over the ground, reminding herself of _that_ night. Anger bubbles in her chest and a black rock starts growing from the ground, only to retreat into the earth when that anger is quickly replaced with sadness.

She lets her arm drop to her side and sighs deeply. She puts her hand in her hair, pushing it back before looking up as Owl hoots at her from above.

The bird of prey circles her a few times before flying off with another hoot, and she follows him. Her eyes widen as when he guides her to the wreckage of the caravan and lands on one of its many broken parts.

She hesitates for a moment before she begins rummaging through the rubble. As she searches through it, she comes across numerous items that belonged to the party;

Various creams and other such products belonging to Eugene. She rolls her eyes as she tosses a third broken hand mirror over her shoulder. How many mirrors does one man need?

Numerous knick-knacks and trinkets that could either belong to Lance or the princess. The gaudier they are the more likely they belong to Lance. A part of her has to wonder if he bought them or not.

She finds a satchel, still in decent shape despite everything, and pulls it over her shoulder before continuing her search.

Half-eaten, rotting yams, torn clothes, broken weapons, various broken flatware and combs, books torn apart, and left unreadable… Spilled paint, broken paintbrushes, forgotten saddles, broken glass… All of it useless junk.

She raises a piece of scrap wood, her stomach churning at the sight of a painting. She pulls it free, feeling a twinge of guilt when the bottom corner rips and stares at it.

It’s a painting of her and the princess, smiling happily with an arm around one another. Her chest tightens as she gazes at the painting, and her mouth turns dry as she’s filled with guilt and uncertainty.

As she stares at the painting of the princess’s face, she’s reminded of the heartbroken look that had crossed it when they parted ways.

She made her look like that.

“What am I doing?”

“You’re fulfilling your destiny,” Zhan Tiri’s voice reaches her ears and Cassandra scowls as she folds the painting and puts it inside the bag. “Why do you question it?”

“How do I know for sure that _this_ is my destiny?” she demands, gesturing to the Moonstone on her chest. “This… It doesn’t feel right.”

Zhan Tiri’s eyes narrow. “Well, if you want to run back to Rapunzel’s side and go back to living in her shadow, and serving the people who will tear families apart for their without a second thought, then, by all means, I won’t stop you.”

Cassandra falters, tightly gripping the strap to the satchel over her shoulder. “Everyone’s always seen you as second best to Rapunzel if you go back now that will never change.”

Cassandra picks up one of Rapunzel’s sketching pencils and stows it in the bag. “Yeah,” she sighs. “Maybe.”

It’s taking Varian longer than he cares to admit to readjust to life in Old Corona. He’s been home for two weeks after a year on the road and a few months in the castle, and he feels… Out of place.

Things are calm and quiet in Old Corona. They always have been. And being able to work in peace and quiet _should_ be a blessing to him. But he’s gotten used to things _not_ being calm and quiet.

Right now he lies on his bed, staring up at the ceiling as he tries to get some sleep before sunrise. But he can’t. No matter how hard he tries, all he can think about is how he’s going to deal with whatever it is Zhan Tiri has planned. He knows she’s up to something and Cassandra is just a pawn in her game, and he’s got to figure out his next move.

Demanitus himself had told him he might be the only one able to stop her, but he didn’t tell him _how._

His eyes widen and he sits up, forcing Ruddiger from his chest to his lap and carefully he takes the raccoon and stands before setting him on the pillow. He hurries over to his desk, lights a candle, and begins flipping through one of his books.

Ruddiger yawns, rubbing at his face with his paws and staring at his boy as he mutters to himself. The raccoon hops off the bed and onto the desk and chitters at him, only to be ignored. He tries again to get his attention, to get him back into bed, but he’s too far gone into his research.

With an annoyed huff, Ruddiger hops off the desk and scurries out of the room.

Rider yawns, stretching out her paws before scratching behind one ear. She looks at her human for a moment before resting her head on her paws and going back to sleep. She’s awoken again moments later when the door opens the rest of the way and Quirin steps in the room with Ruddiger on his shoulder.

“Varian,” the man lets out a soft sigh.

“Huh?” Varian looks away from the book in his hands and scowls at the raccoon. “You little snitch.” He grabs for the book when it's taken from him and placed on the shelf. “Dad- I need to find something!”

“Whatever it is will be waiting for you in the morning, son. You need your rest.”

“But, Dad, I…” he trails off and sighs. “I have to stop her.”

Quirin’s eyebrows knit together with concern and he kneels in front of him. “Stop who?” He asks, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Cassandra?” He knew she had the Moonstone and had gone awol, but neither of them knows exactly what she’s planning to do with it.

“N-No!” Varian shakes his head. “I-I mean… M-Maybe, but… I don’t want to have to fight her, Dad." But he knows he might have too.

“Then who is it that you have to stop?”

Varian hesitates to answer. “Dad, Zhan Tiri is after the Sundrop and Moonstone, I-I have to stop her somehow or else she’ll use them to destroy Corona.” he clenches his hands into fists. “I couldn’t stop her from getting to Cass, so I have to keep her from getting to Rapunzel.”

Quirin’s brow furrowed when he mentions the name of the ancient demon. While he never paid any mind to Coronan myths and legends, all he knew when it came to Zhan Tiri was what little his wife had told him of the legends. He knew she was a powerful being believed to be from another world who once took the shape of a human to find this world's ultimate power, but was foiled by Lord Demanitus.

“Alright. But let me help you, son.”

Varian looks at him with surprise. “R-Really?”

“You know what they say, two heads are better than one.” He smiles and gives his shoulder a gentle squeeze. A rooster crowing can be heard from outside and they both turn to the window to see the sun rising over the horizon. Quirin lets out a sigh. “I guess we’re getting an early start.”

“Heh, y-yeah, I guess so.”

“I’ll go make us some breakfast.” Quirin stands from his position on the floor and pats Varian’s shoulder. Ruddiger hops onto the bed as he makes his way to the door where he pauses and looks back at his son. “What exactly _are_ you looking for?”

“The Tomb of Demanitus?” Xavier the blacksmith repeats. He looks up from his current project to the boy across the counter. “What makes you so sure I know where it is?”

“You led the princess to the Demantius Device during the blizzard, so it only stands to reason that you would know something about the tomb,” Varina answers simply. 

The blacksmith chuckles at his answer and sets down his hammer. “Well, you would be right.” He motions for the father and son to step further inside his workshop and crosses the room to a wooden chest.

He pulls a map from the chest and spreads it out on the counter. Xavier points to a location in the mountains of Corona and Varian pulls out his pocket journal.

“The tomb lies on the peak of this mountain,” he says as Varian sketches up a quick replica of the map. “But, why are you looking for it?”

“A monkey told me too…” Varian mumbles nonchalantly and the two men look at one another. “Okay,” he snaps the book closed. “I got it. Thanks, Xavier, you’re a lifesaver.”

Xavier smiles and rolls up the map. “I’m happy to help. But, it will take you some time to reach it. Around three days.”

Varian hums in thought, opening his journal to look at the map again. He looks at his father when he places a hand on his back. “I’m sure we’ll manage just fine,” he says and the boy gives him a lopsided grin.

“Thanks, Dad.”

“And then, he stands up straight and says in a deep voice ‘for I am Lord Demanitus’, and this is a monkey, Dad, a _monkey_. In a turban.” Quirin smiles as Varian excitedly tells him how he met the ancient scientist as they make their way to the mountain range. “Eugene thought it was some sort of trick, but nope, it was really him, and it was probably one of the best days of my life.”

“Oh man, I wish I could have picked his brain some more…” The boy sighs wistfully. “But after the first riddle Rapunzel and I started a contest and I got sidetracked with that. Speaking of which, she still owes me my book…” Varian trails off and Quirin comes to a stop and looks behind them when he hears a twig snap.

His eyes narrow suspiciously at the expanse of trees, and he waits for something to jump out at them. He sighs when a rabbit is the only thing to jump out from a bush. 

“Dad?” Varian calls, concerned. “You okay?”

“I’m alright,” Quirin smiles and catches up with him “Now, what were you saying about a statue?”

“Oh! After we had gotten the final piece of the scroll, we were attacked by a _statue!_ ” He says. “I know it was trying to kill us and all, but the science at work was simply outstanding!”

It’s sunset by the time they reach the base of the mountain, which is where Quirin decided they should set up camp for the night. The mountain would take a day to climb, and it's best to be well-rested for these things.

Varian stares up at the mountain and smiles to himself as he recalls the first mountain climbing adventure he had with Rapunzel and the others.

“You know,” he starts, turning back to the campfire. “The last mountain I climbed had a kurloc guarding it. I don’t know what was worse, dealing with Calliope for a full day or nearly being eaten.”

“I’m sorry, you were nearly _what?_ ”

“Oh, that’s nothing,” Varian waves it off. “I haven’t even told you about the time I was demonically possessed by a plant.” He laughs nervously under his father's gaze. “It was… Quite the year.”

Quirin goes to say something, but he’s not sure how so he closes his mouth and an awkward silence fills the space between them.

“W-What kind of adventures did you used to go on, Dad?” Varian’s voice cracks when he breaks the silence. “I mean, you must have gone on some with the Brotherhood, right?”

“Yes, but nothing in comparison to… Just about anything you’ve done and seen over the past year.” The man hums in thought. “The most that come to mind is a scouting mission that resulted in Hector finding his rhinoceros.”

“He was with some traveling merchants who were selling exotic goods, and he was only a calf at the time. The poor thing was skin and bones, and we got him for a bargain.”

“You stole him, didn’t you?”

“I wouldn’t say we _stole_ him. It was more of… Rescuing him. At knifepoint.” He admits and Varian snorts.

Come the crack of dawn, Quirin and Varian have begun their trek up the mountain. As they climb, the trees, grass, and other foliage slowly become sparse as the temperature drops.

Varian shivers as a cold wind carrying snowflakes blows past him. It’s early into the summer season, and while summers in Corona have never been overly hot, the snowcap should have melted at least a little bit by now.

They reach the snow-covered peak by midday, and Varian forgets about the cold wind and everything around him as he gazes up at the structure before him. Tall stone pillars, each decorated with intricate carvings and ancient text. A large carving of a monkey stares down at him and he grins.

The man really did like his monkeys.

“Oh man, if only Rapunzel could see this…” he mumbles to himself as his eyes trace each pattern. “I’m going to have to bring her here one day.”

Quirin smiles and steps up to the structure, the snow crunching beneath his feet. He leans forward, brushing the snow from a plaque and reads the text aloud; “I grow but do not live, I need air but do not breath. A riddle?”

He looks to his son, not at all surprised to already find him deep in thought and muttering to himself. He turns back to the plaque and hums. “Fire, perhaps?”

“Fire? Of course!” Varian beams and pulls off his pack and riffles through it. He pulls out one of his inventions and breaks the glass bulb on the end of it, causing it to ignite. “I knew I had to get my smarts from somewhere,”

Quirin rubs the back of his neck and smiles softly. “You get them from your mother, son. If she could see you now, I know she'd be just as proud of you as I am.”

Varian smiles at this and holds the flame to the center of an eye-shaped carving beneath the plaque. He steps back, his eyes lighting up as the fire spreads throughout the carvings.

He holds his breath as two large gears emerge from the pillars, groaning loudly as they begin turning, the stone door before them rising with each turn. Quirin watches as Varian begins bouncing on the balls of his feet and his eyes sparkle excitement; a sight he hasn’t seen since he was young and waiting in line at Monty’s.

It’s nice to see he’s not _all_ grown up just yet.

He frowns when he sees the boy's face fall and the excitement in his eyes is replaced with hesitance and nervousness. “Varian?” He places a gentle hand on his shoulder, pulling it back when he flinches.

“O-Oh, um, sorry, I uh…” he looks at the snow-covered ground. “I-I know he told me I could be the only one able to stop Zhan Tiri, but what if I _can’t?_ He entrusted his life’s work, all his research, his inventions, his _legacy_ with me, and I… What if I’m not cut out for it?”

“I-I couldn’t even stop Cass, how am I supposed to stop Zhan Tiri?”

“Varian,” Quirin puts a hand on his shoulder again. “I don’t know exactly what you’ve gotten yourself into, but Lord Demanitus trusts and has faith in you and your abilities,” he smiles at him. “And so do I.”

_’If you keep at it and never lose faith in yourself or your abilities, you will accomplish great things.’_

The words bounce around in Varian’s skull and he smiles up at his father. “Thanks, Dad.” He looks back to the tomb and swallows the growing lump in his throat. “Well, what are we waiting for?”

When Varian and Quirin enter the tomb, they’re met with the sight of tropical plants and vines growing along the walls, overtaking long-forgotten machines, piles of scrap metal, and everything else they could get their roots on.

Varian’s eyes light up again at the sight of it all as he ventures further inside. He tightly grips the straps of his back and spins in a semi-circle to get a better view of everything.

“Magnificent,” he says, breathless. “Oh, _man_ this is--” he’s cut off by a banana peel falling on his head. He looks up and smiles at the group of monkeys staring down at him.

He pulls the peel from his head and tosses it into a pile with other banana peels before venturing further into the room. He’s all but vibrating with excitement as he approaches a broken-down machine, brushing away the ivy that has overtaken it.

Quirin follows him, eyeing the room for whatever it could be that Varian was searching for. Though, knowing how he gets, it could be just about anything. He looks back at his son, smiling when he finds him explaining something to the group of monkeys that had gathered around him.

“This must have been how he put his consciousness within Vigor…” he mumbles. He jumps when one of the monkeys hops onto the machine, one of its parts falling off and clattering to the ground.

“What exactly are we here for, Varian?” his father asks and he hums.

Paying no mind as the monkeys begin sniffing and poking at him, Varian stands and looks around the room. “Demanitus said that everything I need to stop Zhan Tiri would be here, all his knowledge and his research, so,” he approaches a pedestal and brushes away the dust and cobwebs to reveal a large leather-bound book. “This.”

He picks it up, surprised by just how heavy it was and opens it. He flips through the pages, skimming over various blueprints and schematics. Everything in the book was written in the same language as the scroll, but with time he’s sure, he can make sense of it.

He closes the book, the monkey on his back hopping onto the ground when he takes off his pack, and carefully he places the book inside it. Varian looks around the room again, searching for anything else that could come in handy. 

He pulls his pack onto his back, looking at his father when he places a hand on his shoulder. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

“Yeah, I think I did,” Varian looks around the room once again. “ _Oh,_ I wish I could take some of these machines back with me. Even if I have the blueprints there’s no beating the originals, you know?”

“Well, I’m sure you could always come back,” Quirin suggests. “I’m sure they won’t mind.” He adds, referring to the monkeys about the room and Varian smiles brightly.

“Oh, I am definitely coming back.”

The following day, Quirin and Varian begin their trek back home as the boy tells his father of another adventure he had during his year on the road.

“We thought it was weird, I mean, who wouldn’t think an old lady living alone in the middle of nowhere is weird? But she was nice and offered us tea, and Uncle Hector said it was rude to turn her down, so we joined her for tea, and then we’re turned into _birds,_ and put in a birdcage.”

“If Rapunzel’s plan to turn us all back to normal didn’t work, then we would be…” Varian trails off at the sight of numerous logs piled up in the river. “We would uh… Still be… Birds.”

“Hey!” Varian looks away from the mess of logs to see Eugene and Rapunzel. “Look, everyone, it’s Varian! What are you doing out here?”

“Oh, you know, just going on a road trip with my dad.” Varian smiles awkwardly at the couple. “But I could ask you the same question.”

Eugene shrugs with a smile. “Just going on a road trip with _my_ dad,”

This prompts Varian to look behind them and he sees two identical men, sitting on a log with Maximus standing over them, and he feels himself stop breathing when he sees King Edmund with them. The man nods to him before looking past him, and when he looks at his father, Varian’s unable to read his expression. 

He steps to the side when Quirin and Edmund approach one another, and he holds his breath.

The group silently watches as the two men, who are admittedly intimidating on their own, intensely stare one another down with unreadable expressions. Even the two thugs on the log seem to be holding their breaths, as they all wait for something to happen.

A smile spreads on Edmund's face and he and Quirin embrace one another, and the group lets out a collective sigh of relief.

“It’s wonderful to see you again, old friend,” Edmund says, patting his back. 

“Yes,” Quirin pulls away from him and smiles. “I’m happy to see you again, Your Majesty.”

“And I’m happy to see you’ve made a full recovery,” the King adds, shooting a wink at Varian. “Tell me, old friend, how have you been?”

“Ah, busy, very busy.”

The boy smiles as the two catch up and joins Rapunzel and Eugene. He grins at the princess when she puts her arms around his shoulders and kisses his cheek.

Her nose scrunches and she pulls away. “Why do you smell like bananas?”

“Oh, you know, the monkeys in Demanitus’ tomb weren’t too keen about unexpected visitors.”

“The what at the where now?” Eugene questions and Rapunzel lets out an undignified whine.

“You went to his tomb without me?” she pouts. “Oh, what was it like?”

“Kind of like the maze but way smaller and with more monkeys and fewer riddles,” he answers. “I can take you to see it one day, but the real treasure is right here.”

“I didn’t take you as the grave robbing type, kid,” Eugene teases as he fishes out the book from his pack.

“It’s not grave robbing if the owner of said grave says you can have it.” Varian retorts as Rapunzel starts flipping through the book.

“This is amazing, Varian… But, can you read it?”

“Well, not exactly. I mean, I can make out a few words, but it’s not enough to do anything with. But, I should be able to figure it out.”

“If you can translate this then… Do you think you can translate the scroll?”

Varian stares at her with wide eyes and bites his lip. “I think so, yeah,” he says after a long pause. “But I’ll need some time.”

“Of course, Varian.” She smiles gratefully at him. “If you and your dad come back to the castle with us, I’ll give you the scroll and you can take it home with you.

Varian smiles and looks over to where his father and Edmund were talking. “I’m sure Dad will be okay with one more stop on the way home.”

Eugene smiles, watching as his father excitedly tells Quirin about the adventure they had just had. He nudges Varian with his elbow. “This whole… Father-son thing’s kind of nice, huh?”

“Yeah, it is.”

Cassandra stares at the painting again. She sits against a tree, with Owl staring down at her from one of its branches. She lowers the painting and tilts her head back, staring up at the leaves and meeting the bird's yellow eyes.

“I don’t suppose _you_ think this is my destiny, do you?” she asks him, and the bird hoots in response. She sighs and closes her eyes and thinks.

She thinks of her mother, and she’s unable to shake the feeling that the woman would be _disappointed_ in her for what she’s done. For what she’s planning on doing.

_’I want things to be better for her, for all of us, but his way… Laying waste to Corona… It can’t be the only way for change.’_ Her voice echoes in her mind, and Cassandra feels her stomach churn.

She remembers when her mother said this; it was while she was hanging the laundry up to dry and talking with an older woman, her grandmother, she thinks. She remembers feeling confused.

Confused by the idea that her mother could ever think her father was wrong.

And she’s confused again, because now _she’s_ starting to think father was wrong. That _she’s_ wrong.

Cassandra sits up and looks at the painting once again, staring at the smiling face of the princess. Maybe she should just go back to Corona. She can’t change the past, but she can make the future better, can’t she?

Maybe if she talks to her, they can figure it out together.

She goes to stand but stops herself. 

Is that what she wants? To go back and continue living in _her_ shadow? To serve the very people who took her family away from her, and continue to tear families apart whenever they see fit?

Black Rocks begin growing around her as her anger rises.

No. Even if she _does_ talk to the princess, she wouldn’t understand. She could never understand the pain she feels. _She_ still has her family.

She tears the painting in half and flips one half of it over. Digging into her satchel she pulls out the pencil and begins writing on the back of the parchment. Once finished she rolls it, pulls a piece of twine from the satchel, and stands.

Cassandra whistles and Owl perches himself on a lower branch where she ties the letter to his leg and he then hops onto her waiting arm. She tells him where to go. Who to find, and she sends him off.

Off to the _one_ person in Corona that knows _exactly_ how she feels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Varian and Dad, going on a road trip (with a surprise visit from Eugene and His Dad wrapping up their own road trip)
> 
> I have nothing else witty to say, so... I'm sorry this chapter took so long and I hope to god the next one won't be such a pain.
> 
> I'll see you in the next update, everyone~


	6. Chapter VI: Little Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angry and Red return to Corona.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... This chapter did not at all go the way I originally planned. But, I'm not complaining.
> 
> TW for animal abuse (it's minor but still, just a heads up)
> 
> Please enjoy.

When Angry said she wanted to go back to Corona, Red was happy. Really, she was. She likes Corona, and they have people who want them around there. People who liked them and cared about them enough to help them when they needed it instead of turning them away.

While she was happy to be able to see them all again, she was even happier about the treehouse she and Red had found on the outskirts of Old Corona.

Sure, it was old, the roof leaks when it rains, the floors creak loudly when you walk on them, and it was very drafty, but all it needed was a little bit of love and it’d be perfect.

Right now Red was hammering away, tacking up tarps to temporarily patch up one of the larger holes on the roof.

She sits back on her haunches to admire her handiwork and smiles.

“What are you doing?” Angry asks, suddenly appearing behind her and she jumps.

“I’m fixing the treehouse,” she answers excitedly. “Well, temporarily anyway. The man who runs Old Corona said that once they’re done rebuilding we can have all of the leftover materials, and then I can fix it up nice!”

Her face falls when she sees the look on her sister's face. “We’re not _staying_ here, Red.” she says, crossing her arms. “This is just until they finish construction in Old Corona.”

“But…” Red tightly grips the hammer. “I-I like it here.”

Angry rolls her eyes and groans. “Look, Red, I’m _tired_ of living on the road and not knowing when or where our next meal is coming from. I want to live in an actual home.”

“But--”

“I know what’s best for us, Red. Trust me.”

Red’s angry as she throws a stick as far as she can and a large dog chases after it. Angry with her sister for not listening to her, and angry with herself for not standing her ground. She really shouldn’t be surprised. This is what always happens whenever they disagree on something. Angry gets her way, and Red silently goes along with it.

The dog trots back to her and drops the stick at her feet, sitting down and patiently waits for her to throw it again. She picks it up, the dog wagging her tail eagerly and she throws it again, the dog giving chase.

“You have been silently playing fetch with my dog for the past fifteen minutes,” Red jumps and turns around to face Varian, the alchemist leaning up against a tree with a heavy-looking book in his lap and an opened notebook beside him. He’s been so quiet she forgot he was there. “I mean, not that I mind, she needs to exercise, but… Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine,” she answers and he hums, clearly not convinced but he thankfully doesn't press her for any further information. 

She takes the stick from the dog when she returns and throws it again, and the duo fall back into silence

Eventually, the dog grows tired of chasing the stick and decides she’d much rather gnaw on it instead, leading Red to sit down and pet her. She stares up at the sky as the sun sets, the crescent moon and a few lone stars making itself known in the fading light as a wolf howls in the distance. She shivers.

She turns back to Varian when he closes his book and collects his things. “Well, that should satisfy my father’s desire for me to ‘go outside and get some fresh air’,” he mumbles as he gets to his feet. He looks at Red and smiles. “I can walk you back if you want?” Red shakes her head and he frowns as he rubs the back of his neck. “Look, Red, if you ever need to talk or anything, you know where to find me.”

Red gives him a forced smile and he takes his leave, and Rider follows after him, but not before giving her a lick across the face, leaving the paint on her cheeks smeared and covered in slobber.

She stays in the field until the sun has completely faded from sight. With a sigh, she gets to her feet and heads back to the treehouse.

When Red finally returns from her walk, she’s a mess. Her clothes were dirty, and her hair had fallen from her pigtails, covering the left side of her face. Angry is alarmed by her disheveled appearance, and she’s at her sister's side in seconds.

“W-What happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt?” She asks, frantic as she inspects her for any injuries.

“I’m alright,” Red assures her, brushing her hands away. “I tripped.”

“You tripped?” Angry blinks at her with disbelief as she crosses the small room of the treehouse. She watches as Red applies more face paint to her cheeks with her back turned to her. “I… Are you okay?”

“I said I’m fine!” Red snaps and Angry flinches back. Red turns back to her with wide eyes. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell, I just… I’m tired. I’m going to go ahead and go to bed.” She hugs her sister. “I love you,”

Angry forces a smile and hugs her back. “I love you too,”

Red’s been acting strange ever since that night. She’s been moody and far more short-tempered than Angry’s ever seen her be before. It worries her but she isn’t sure what to do. When she asks, Red brushes it off and either leaves to play with Varian’s dog or to work on the treehouse.

That stupid, stupid treehouse.

It’s been nearly a month, and Angry _still_ can’t get her to understand that moving to Old Corona is for the best. That they wouldn’t have to worry about having where they slept, or when they were going to get their next meal. They’d have a home! A real home! Just like they always wanted!

Why couldn’t she just understand? Maybe they should go and visit Rapunzel in the morning. She might be able to get through to her.

A howl echoes throughout Old Corona, disrupting the quiet and sending a chill down the spine of anyone awake to hear it. Rider’s ears perk up and she raises her head, letting out a low growl as she stands.

She approaches the door and scratches at it, turning to her boy in hopes he’d let her out, only to find him fast asleep at his desk. She huffs, ears pinning back with mild annoyance, and lets out a booming bark that startles him awake.

“Wha--” he looks at her with wide eyes and sighs tiredly. “Alright, I’m coming.”

Varian stands at the door, half asleep as Rider sniffs at the air before taking off after whatever she’s caught the scent of. He yawns into his hand and mumbles something about the dog house he and his father had built the day before retreating inside and closing the door.

Rapunzel beams as she walks around the village the very next day, she spins in a small circle to take in the current state of things. Many houses had been rebuilt, and the fields were currently being plowed. While the summer harvest may be small this year, she’s positive that the fall harvest will be bountiful.

“Things are coming along nicely,” Eugene comments from her side. “At this rate they’re going construction should be done by the end of the month!”

“It’s hard to believe this place was in near ruins not a year ago,” Lance adds. If not for the occasional black rock spotted out in the fields, one wouldn’t be able to tell there was ever an issue.

“You guys are going to love it here,” Eugene says, looking to the two girls at his side. “But, what made you decide to settle down?”

“Life on the road starts to suck after a while,” Angry says matter-of-factually. “It’s going to be nice not to have to worry about food or where we’re going to sleep, you know? You should _see_ the treehouse we’re staying in.”

“Yeah!” Red’s eyes light up. “It’s so c--”  
“It’s a dump,” Angry cuts her off and she deflates.

“I like it,” Red mumbles, fiddling with her pendant, and Angry rolls her eyes with a groan.

“How many times are we going to go through this? I know what’s best for us and this,” she gestures to a random house. “This is what’s best for us, Red. Trust me.”

Eugene takes notice of how Red’s demeanor changes and he goes to speak, only to be cut off by the sharp sound of a yelp quickly followed by shouting not too far away. They follow the sound to a nearby field, alarmed by the sight of Quirin and another man pulling Varian and another boy apart.

“What is going on here?” Quirin demands, and Varian wrenches himself free.

“He threw a brick at Rider!” The man’s attention is drawn to the dog as she paws at her bleeding snout.

“Yeah, well she attacked our sheep last night, so excuse me for trying to protect our livestock!” The other boy, at least a head taller than Varian with much more muscle, with shaggy brown hair and suntanned skin from years of working in the fields, argues back as a small crowd begins gathering.

“You have no proof it was her, Micha!”

Micha wrenches himself free from his father’s hold. “She was in the pen, and now we’re down one sheep, that’s all the proof I need.”

“Now hang on,” Quirin interjects. “I’ve been hearing about a wolf roaming around the fields, now I know we’re not exactly sure what kind of dog Rider is, but she’s no wolf.”

Varian scoffs and crosses his arms. “Oh please, he wouldn’t know a wolf it bit him in the--”

“ Varian,” Quirin warns and the boy falls silent, crossing his arms with a scowl. He turns back to Micha and his father and clears his throat. “Samuel, I promise you we’ll get to the bottom of this.” He assures him. 

His expression darkens suddenly. “But your boy crossed a line,”

“Forgive me for failing to see it that way, Quirin. As far as I’m concerned Micha was only protecting our livelihood.” Samuel’s eyes fall onto the dog. “But,” he sighs. “I’ll see to it that he’s properly punished for it. Should you prove to me that your dog isn’t responsible for what happened.”

With that, the father and son leave and Quirin sighs heavily. He turns to the crowd and shoos them away, nodding to the princess and her companions as Varian gets on his knees to inspect the dog’s injury.

He tilts her head, giving her a small smile when he finds the injury isn’t serious. He holds her head in his hands and looks her in the eye. “You didn’t do anything last night, right?”

The dog licks his face and he smiles. “That’s my girl,”

“What’s going on?” Rapunzel asks as Red joins Varian on the ground to pet the dog.

“Something came in and spooked the livestock last night,” Quirin answers. “We’re down a few chickens and a sheep.” He explains, eyeing the dog as she scratches behind her ear.

“She’s a good dog, Dad!” Varian jumps to his feet. “You know she wouldn’t hurt a fly!”

“Varian,” Quirin puts a hand on his shoulder. “I know, but… Until this is settled, we need to keep her tied out, alright?”

“But, Dad, you saw the tracks. She couldn’t have made those, they’re twice the size of her paw prints, and they’re not even the right shape!” he argues, ignoring his father as he tries to reason with him. “It’s not fair to punish her for something she didn’t do!”

“Varian-” 

“She could have been trying to protect the sheep, did you ever think of that?” Varian balls his hands into fists. “I’m not just going to sit back and let this happen!”

Quirin catches his wrist before he could wander off to the field. “That is _enough_ , Varian,” his chest tightens as a familiar look flashes across his son's face, and the way he, the princess, and the two girls flinch at his tone does not go unnoticed. 

“ _Yes, sir,_ ” Varian spits out as he wrenches himself free. He marches back towards the house with Rider following close behind.

Rapunzel’s lips press into a thin line, watching Red runs after them. The way Eugene’s eyes narrow at the village head before following the girl doesn’t go unnoticed by her either.

She looks at Quirin, finding him staring in the direction Varian had gone with a deep frown on his face. She clears her throat.

“Varian said something about tracks?” she inquires. “Can you show me?”

“Yes, of course, your highness. Please, come with me.”

“Hey kid,” Eugene puts his hand on Varian’s back as he ties a rope attached to a stake in the ground to Rider’s collar. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,”

“You sure? Thing’s got a little… Tense with your dad just now, and you seem pretty upset.”

“I’m not upset about my dad!” Varian snaps. He looks away from Eugene and frowns. “I’m- I’m sorry… It’s just…” he trails off and Eugene pats his back. “I know it’s not her, but… There’s always the chance and if she _is_ responsible then…”

“But if something happens again while she’s tied out?” Red asks quietly. “Then she’s innocent, right?”

“Maybe, but that doesn’t change the fact that she was in the pen and now a sheep is missing.” Varian sighs. He takes out a flask and pours the contents on a rag before dabbing the dog’s snout.

“Hey,” Eugene moves his hand so it’s resting on his shoulder. “We’ll get to the bottom of this. I promise.”

Red bites her lower lip, fiddling with her pendant as Varian treats the injury on Rider’s snout. She goes to say something but the frantic whinnying of Maximus interrupts her.

“Guys!” Angry calls from his back. “We found the monster! Hurry!”

Rapunzel stands beside her father and mother as they stare at the woman sitting across the dining table and she crosses her arms. The woman called herself Captain Creighton and said she’s a big game tracker, but the biggest game that has been seen in Corona is the occasional bear once they first wake up from their hibernation.

She taps her fingers on her forearm as she watches the woman eat, glancing at her friends as they watch with a mix of disgust and curiosity. 

Her father clears his throat and all eyes are on him as he asks, “So, what is a world-class tracker such as yourself doing in Corona?”

“Uh, tracking?”

Varian and the girls snicker and the king clears his throat again to silence them. “Tracking _what?_ ”

“That thing that’s been terrorizing your livestock,” Creighton responds through a mouthful of bread. She points her bread roll at Varian. “And it ain’t your mutt. What I’m looking for is a _werewolf_.”

The room falls into stunned silence as the woman continues eating. The group looks between one another, and this time it’s Arianna who clears her throat.

“I’m sorry, did you say a… A _werewolf?_ ” She’s seen quite a bit in her day, and she’s seen even more since Rapunzel was returned to them after all those years, but not once has she ever crossed paths with a werewolf. At least she doesn’t think she has.

Creighton drops a heavy book onto the table. “It’s all right here in this book,” she says. “What we’re dealing with is a textbook example of lycanthropy, the wolf’s curse. Or as it’s more commonly known as a werewolf.”

“The wolf’s curse travels the globe,” she continues. “Searching for a host body. It feeds on untapped rage, so its ideal host is someone with deeply repressed anger. Once it finds its host, it inhabits their body and transforms them into the beast every full moon for the rest of their life, and then it repeats the cycle. And now, it’s found a new host, here, in Corona.”

“And you’re here because you can break this curse?” Frederic questions and the woman scoffs.

“I’m not here to ‘break’ the curse, I’m here to put an end to it once and for all.” she slams her crossbow on the table, and the king’s eyes widen slightly. “I’m here to destroy it and it’s new host before it can spread again.”

Rapunzel pushes herself forward and marches up to the woman, knocking her feet off the table. “Let me make one thing clear, you will not be destroying _anything_ in _my_ kingdom.” She says, and Arianna smiles.

“I’m not sure _you_ can stop me,”

“No, but _I_ can,” Frederic walks forward to stand beside his daughter. “If you so much as lay a hand on any of my citizens, there will be a nice cell waiting for you in the dungeons.” he beckons a pair of guards over to the table. “Please see Captain Creighton out.”

“You’re making a big mistake,” the woman warns as she rises from her seat.

“We’ll take our chances,” Rapunzel says, snatching the book from her. “And we’ll be keeping the book.”

“It says here that in their human form, the werewolf will have a blue paw print mark on their face, hands, neck, or arms.” Rapunzel reads. “So, I guess all we can do is check everyone in Corona for the mark.”

Eugene hums. “That’s easier said than done, Blondie. I mean, there’s a lot of people in Corona.”

“Well, the wolf inhabits someone with repressed rage, right? So it can’t be too hard to find out who it is, because everyone in Corona is anything but angry.” She forces a smile when everyone looks at her with uncertainty. “Right?”

“Even if it is that simple, which it’s not, whoever it is wouldn’t want to be discovered,” Varian adds. “I mean, they’d be seen as a monster for the rest of their lives by their friends and family and someone might try and take matters into their own hands.”

“But that’s the thing,” Rapunzel turns to a page and presents him with the book. “There’s a spell to get rid of it. So all we have to do is find who it is, and have them recite this spell and everything will be okay.”

“But what if they don’t _want_ to get rid of it?” Lance asks. “It’s not like you can force them.”

Rapunzel falls silent, her brow furrowing as she thinks for a long moment. “Then… We’ll just have to help them however we can.” She closes the book and stands up. “Well, it’s starting to get late,” Looking to Varian and the girls she asks them, “Why don’t you three stay here for the night?”

“That’s a good idea,” Angry says before Red could answer her. “The last thing we need is to run into a werewolf.”

“Great, it’s settled then,” Eugene stands up from his chair, slinging his arm around Varian’s neck. “C’mon kid, I’ll show you to your room.”

“Eugene, I know my way around.”

“Yeah, but I have some important… Team Awesome stuff to talk to you about,” the man insists as he drags Varian out of the room. 

He guides him down the hall, turning a random corner and turning him around to face him. “Kid, are you alright?”

“I’m fine…?” Varian’s eyes narrow at him and he raises an eyebrow. “Eugene, are _you_ alright?”

Eugene hesitates to answer, chewing his lower lip as he searches himself for the right thing to say. His eyes scan the boy's face and what he could see of his neck poking out of the collar of his shirt. “Varian, you’d tell me if something was upsetting you, right?”

“Eugene, if this is about what happened between me and my dad, I told you, I’m--” his voice catches in his throat and he looks at Eugene with a hurt expression. “You… You think _I’m_ the wolf?”

“No, no, no, I didn’t say that. It’s just that I… Varian, you do tend to bottle things up and…” he trails off, screwing his eyes shut and sighs heavily. “It wouldn’t be the first time something’s taken advantage of your emotions like that.”

Eugene steps back when Varian tosses his gloves at his feet, and he watches as he rolls up his sleeves before undoing the buttons on his collar to expose his neck. “I’m _fine_ , Eugene,” he says firmly, showing him his arms. “But I am pretty hurt that you would even consider it…”

“You’re right, you’re right, that was a bad call on my part,” Eugene picks up his gloves as he fixes his shirt. “It’s just… If Creighton finds out who the wolf is using as a host first, she’ll…” He trails off again and looks at Varian with a small smile. “I gotta protect my family, y’know?”

“Yeah, I know,” Varian smiles and takes his gloves back. “But, you can make it up to me by helping me figure out how I’m going to explain all this to my dad.”

Red stares out at the kingdom, unable to sleep despite how late in the night it is. Her heart pounds in her chest as the light of the full moon shines over the city. She hugs herself, looking away from the view when someone calls her name.

“Red?” Rapunzel calls gently, walking up to her. “Are you okay? You seem… Sad.”

“No, no, I’m fine, honest,” Red turns back to the view, and Rapunzel places a soothing hand on her back.

“Are you sure?”

“It’s just… I don’t want to live in Old Corona,” she admits. “It’s a nice place, and I like Corona, it’s just… This,” she gestures to town. “It’s not me.”

Rapunzel rubs her back. “Have you told Angry how you feel?”

“I try, but she doesn’t want to hear it and we end up fighting about it,” Red tells her. “She says that this is what’s best for us, but… I don’t know… I wish I could get through to her…”

Rapunzel puts an arm around her and pulls her close to her side. “I know it’s not easy, but I’m sure you’ll figure out how to get through to your sister,” she says, smiling as Pascal takes a flower from her hair and places it in Red’s. “But in the meantime, we have a werewolf to find,” she says, smiling when the girl takes her hand as they head back inside. She giggles to herself.

“You know, that’s something I never thought I’d say.”

Red’s anxious when she, her sister, and Varian return to Old Corona, wishing that the Rapunzel, Eugene, and Lance had come back with them, but they had stayed behind in Corona to find the werewolf, leaving the three of them to look around Old Corona.

Right now they sit outside Varian’s home, weighing their options while Rider lies across Red’s lap as she pets her. She listens as her sister and Varian make a list of the village's inhabitants, though few they may be.

“Okay so, you and your dad are off the table, and so’s that old lady down the road,” Angry says and the three of them wave to the aforementioned old lady as she shuffles along the street. “That means anyone else here is a suspect, so it doesn’t really narrow it down.”

“There’s barely two dozen people in total living here,” Varian says. “The rocks drove a lot of people elsewhere, so, if things go well, we’ll know if the wolf is here or not before sunset.”

“What happens if we can’t find the wolf?” Red asks quietly.

Varian rubs the back of his neck. “Then… We won’t be able to prove Rider’s innocence and… We’ll… I’ll have no choice but to… To put her down… To protect the rest of the livestock.”

“But, that’s not fair!” Red gets to her feet, anger bubbling in her chest. “It’s not her fault, so why… Why does she have to be punished for what I did?!” She realizes what she’s just said and her eyes widen. Her anger turns into fear as she slowly looks at Angry and Varian, both of them staring at her in shock.

“Red--”

“I-I--” tears spring to her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Angry stands up and walks up to her. “How did this happen?”

“Last month… When you said we should settle down. I-I tried to tell you that I wasn’t ready to move, that I like where we’re staying now, but… But you wouldn’t listen.” Red explains, unable to look her sister in the eye. “So I went for a walk and I played with Rider for a little while until Varian had to go home, and… And it was on the way back to the treehouse when it found me.”

“I-It told me that it could help me be heard, that it could use all my anger to help me get what I wanted. All I had to do was let it…” The tears in her eyes spill over, and she wipes at her cheeks, revealing the blue paw print beneath the paint on her left cheek. “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone, or- or attack anything, I just… I couldn’t help it. I-It said that…” she trails off, sniffing as she wipes at her eyes.

“It said that was what you wanted…” Varian says quietly and she nods. He stands up and rubs at his arm, sucking in a breath when he feels as if he’s being constricted by the roots of the Great Tree again. “We need to go get Rapunzel,” he says after a moment. “She can--”

“No!” Red grabs onto him as he goes to leave. “Please, I… I don’t want her to know.”

“But, Red,” Angry puts a hand on her back. “She has the book with the spell to get rid of the wolf.”

“I-I know, but… I don’t want them to think I’m a monster…”

Varian puts his hands on her shoulders and smiles gently at her. “Okay, I’ll go get the book and I won't tell her, I promise. I'll come right back and we can perform the ritual together. Just the three of us.” he looks at Angry. “You two go to your treehouse and stay there until I get back, okay?”

Angry nods and takes her sister by the hand. “We will,”

Rapunzel hums to herself as she watches Monty from afar, the book on lycanthropy weighing heavily in her lap as she does. She eyes the blue blotch on his neck as best as she can from her hiding place and squints as if to get a better view of it.

“There you are,” she jumps, letting out a startled squeak when Varian joins her in her hiding place behind a few barrels. He pants as he catches his breath, having run from Old Corona. “I need the book.”

Rapunzel gives him a quizzical look and raises an eyebrow. “How come?”

“... I found the wolf,” he admits. Before Rapunzel could say anything more, he interrupts her with, “But, I can’t tell you who it is. We’re planning on doing the ritual ourselves, so I need the book to make sure we do it properly.”

Rapunzel hesitates, eyeing him with uncertainty for a few seconds. She gives him a strained smile and hands him the book. “Just be careful, Varian.”

“I will,” he stands up, placing the book under his arm. He looks to the Sweet Shoppe and back at Rapunzel. “You know, if you ask I’m sure he’ll let you sample something. You should try his sour apple candies, they’re great.”

Rapunzel puts her hand on her cheek and leans against a barrel as Varian takes off. “I know they’re great,” she mutters into her hand, watching as he becomes smaller and smaller until he’s out of her line of sight.

Angry looks at her sister and goes to say something, but she stops herself. Instead she squeezes her hand reassuringly, earning a small, halfhearted smile from her. She pulls her close and looks around the treehouse.

“You know… Maybe we could make this work.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I don’t know, this place is growing on me, that’s all.” Angry smiles at her. “A home doesn’t have to be a regular house. We have a home wherever we are, as long as we’re together, right?”

Red smiles and leans against her. “Right.”

Just as Angry goes to say something else, Varian can be heard calling for them from outside. He’s out of breath when he enters the treehouse, leaning against one of the walls as he pants for a few moments.

“Okay,” he takes a deep breath. “Okay so,” he opens the book to the page Rapunzel had marked. “So, the ritual can only be done on the final night of the full moon, which, luckily for us, is tonight, but… It can only be done on mystical ground.”

“Mystical ground? Is there even anything like that around here?”

“Yeah,” Varian peers out one of the windows, watching as the sun sets across the horizon. “Janus Point.”

Varian’s never actually _been_ to Janus Point. He was told by Lance that some lady brought him, the princess, and a few other people here for an ‘art class’, but according to Eugene she had been some witch who was using them for some demon summoning ritual.

But actually being here, and actually seeing it in person, it made his skin crawl. The ruins were all too familiar to him, though the fact that they were still in one piece, and that he was standing on solid ground rather than a floating platform in an endless void of purple and pink was different.

His eyes dart around the ruins as he and the girls set to work lighting the torches. He keeps expecting to see _her_ , sitting on one of the broken stone arches, or standing atop the platform that bears her likeness to mock him or try to get in his head again. But she’s not there, and he’s grateful for it.

“Okay,” he turns to Angry and Red. “Are you ready?” he asks and Red gives a hesitant nod. He opens the book. “Now repeat after me…” he begins reading the spell aloud, “I swear this wolf away,”

“I-I swear this wolf away…” Red repeats and Angry squeezes her hand.

“Not to give in to its rage, wolf begone!”

“Not to give in to its rage… Wolf be…” She trails off and both Angry and Varian look at her.

“You’re almost there,” Varian says with an encouraging smile. “You can do it.”

Red doesn’t say anything and Angry squeezes her hand again. “Come on, Red, you have to!” she pleads with her and anger bubbles in her chest again as she wrenches herself away from her.

“I don’t _want_ too!” she says, taking several steps back. “Maybe I _like_ being the wolf! Maybe I’m tired of everyone telling me what to do! And… And I’m _sick_ of everyone assuming I’m okay, just because I won’t say I’m not!”

“Red--”

“Stop calling me that!” she snaps and Angry flinches back. “I hate being called 'Red', but I went along with it because that’s what everyone expected from me!” she climbs onto the platform behind her. “I’m tired of being the quiet one! Just _once_ I want to be the angry one! And being the wolf _lets_ me do that!”

“Catalina,” Angry steps forward. “I’m _sorry_ , I… I didn’t mean to be so bossy, we can work all of this out. Together! I promise! Let’s just… Finish this, okay?”

“It doesn’t matter if you finish it or not,” the three of them all turn tense at the sudden voice. Creighton steps out from behind one of the stone arches with her crossbow slung over her shoulder. “The ritual is a sham. I added it to the book so I knew when and where the wolf would be,” she grins at Varian as he tosses the book to the side. “Thanks kid.”

“You were told what would happen to you if you touched any of Corona’s citizens,” Varian reminds her, drawing the sword on his hip and putting himself between Creighton and Catalina. His eyes narrow dangerously at her and he points the weapon at her. “So do yourself a favor and leave.”

The woman laughs and walks up to them. “That ain't one of Corona’s citizens anymore, kid,” she sneers. “That’s a monster, and the sooner you realize that, the better.”

An inhumane growl rips from Catalina’s throat, and Angry and Varian both turn to her as her eyes turn red. Her body starts to grow rapidly, her bones cracking rather painfully as her clothes rip away, revealing coarse dark fur on her arms and legs. Fully transformed into the wolf, Catalina lets out a howl. 

She snarls when Creighton aims her crossbow at her, ears pinning back when Varian forces her aim to the ground just as she pulls the trigger.

With another snarl, Catalina jumps over them and rushes towards the cliff at top speed, jumping down to the water below and using the sharp and jagged rocks below like stepping stones to shore.

“Catalina!” Angry calls after her, running to the edge of the cliff and watching helplessly as her sister disappears.

“We’ll find her,” Varian reassures her. They just have to be faster than… His eyes widen and he turns around to find Creighton missing. His grip tightens on the hilt of his sword as Angry takes hold of his other hand. “I promise, we’ll find her first.”

Rapunzel, Eugene, and Lance walk the forest path leading to Janus Point. She knows that Varian’s capable of handling himself, between his training with Adira and Hector and his alchemical abilities, she should have no reason to worry, but she can’t help it. What if the ritual failed and the wolf lashed out and hurt him? Or what if it hurt someone else?

If things are going well, she’s not going to intervene. But she and the boys will be there, just in case.

She comes to a sudden halt when she hears a loud howl, face turning pale as she takes a step back, her back colliding with Lance’s chest. “Did you guys hear that?”

“It’s close,” Eugene says in a hushed tone, and he takes her hand. “Stay on your guard.”

A scream rings out through the night sky and they all break into a run, following the sound through the trees and the fog. They skid to a halt when they see Creighton her back with the wolf towering over her with its teeth bared.

Rapunzel unties her hair and creates a loop to lasso it, only to freeze when another figure is seen through the fog.

“Catalina, stop!” Rapunzel’s eyes widen when Angry emerges from the fog and the wolf turns to her. “It’s me, Kiera. Please don’t hurt her.”

The wolf growls, ears pinning back as Kiera takes another step forward. “I know she’s a jerk, but _you’re_ , not a monster! I’m sorry that I didn’t listen better, and I promise that I’ll do better to make sure I _do_. Just… Let her go. Please.”

“Catalina, I know exactly what you’re going through,” Varian says as he stands by Kiera. “I know what it feels like to bottle everything up until it consumes you, and I know what it’s like to have something dark take advantage of those feelings and turn you into something you’re not. But, you’re not alone in this, you have friends and family who love you, and are there to help you whenever you need it.”

“It’s okay to be angry and frustrated,” Rapunzel says as she comes out of her hiding place. She keeps her distance, as the wolf- Red- Catalina, growls at her sudden appearance. “But _this,_ ” she gestures to the woman on the ground. “This is not how you deal with those feelings.”

“We’ll all help you, Catalina,” Lance says as he and Eugene stand at Rapunzel’s side. “I promise.”

“Please,” Catalina’s attention turns back to Kiera. “I love you.”

Catalina’s ears droop, her narrow eyes going wide and round as she lets out a whine. 

“Y-Yeah, listen to her!” Creighton pleads and flinches back when the wolf turns back to her. She bares her fangs at her threateningly and the woman quickly picks herself up and runs away into the night.

Kiera smiles as Catalina slowly approaches her with her head low and tail between her legs. She hugs her sister as tight as she can, giggling at the sound of her tail thumping on the ground. She grins when Catalina pulls the others into the hug, squeezing each of them tight.

Rapunzel laughs. “Best hug ever!”

A few short weeks later, the treehouse had been completely transformed into what Lance likes to call a tree castle. Complete with a slide and a lift for when the ladder just won’t do.

“See?” Kiera nudges Catalina with her elbow. “I told you we could make it work.” Catalina snorts and playfully shoves her. They turn to Rapunzel and smile. “Thank you so much for your help, princess.”

“You’re welcome,” Rapunzel smiles. “I’m just glad we found a way to keep you two close by that works for the both of you.”

“Yeah, not quite civilized, not quite the wild, a perfect compromise,” Eugene agrees.

“Not to mention you have a pretty good handyman nearby if anything ever needs to be repaired,” Varian says, setting down a crate as Rider trots up to Catalina to be pet. “Plus, you can come to play with Rider anytime you want.”

Lance ruffles Catalina’s hair. “Just… Promise us that whenever you need help with the… You know, _grrr_ , or if you ever need to talk, you’ll ask for it, okay?”

Catalina smiles. “I promise.”

“Good, because the last thing we want is for you to feel like you have to bury your anger again,” Rapunzel says. Her smile falters as she stares off into the distance. “That… Never helped anyone.”

When Varian returns home he’s soaked near to the bone by a sudden downpour. He shivers and Rider shakes herself dry at his side as he closes the door. A towel is dropped on his head and he looks up at his father as he begins drying him.

He stands there, unmoving as his father dries his hair. They hadn’t really spoken in the past few weeks. Things had slipped back to how they were before almost instantaneously that day, and it was scary just how easy it had been for it to happen.

“Dad, I’m sorry,” he says and Quirin’s hands still. “I-I shouldn’t have given you a hard time about Rider. I know you were doing what you had too and putting the wellbeing of Old Corona first, and I… I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing for you to be sorry about, Varian,” Quirin tells him. “If anyone should be sorry it’s me for being so harsh with you again. You were only trying to protect her, and I lost my temper and for that I’m sorry.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Varian hugs him, smiling when he hugs him back. “I love you, Dad.”

“I love you too, son. Now, go get changed before you catch your death.” Quirin pulls away from him and nudges him towards the stairs.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m going.”

Varian, now dressed in dry clothes, pats the rest of his hair dry with a new towel. He eyes Demantius’ journal, the scroll, and his assortment of notes on the desk. He  
hasn’t made a lot of progress in translating any of it, having only managed to translate half a dozen words, but it’s still not enough to go by.

He shifts through his notes and hums. “I wonder if I give Vigor enough coins if he could point me in the right direction…” he mumbles to himself.

He hears a tapping noise and looks away from the papers, turning to Ruddiger only to see him grooming himself. He follows the sound to his bedroom window, and, believing it to be the rain, shrugs it off. But then the tapping becomes more persistent, louder even and this leads him to open it.

Varian lets out a startled gasp and ducks as something flies into his room. He raises his head, turning to his chair as an all too familiar bird shakes the water from his maroon feathers.

“Owl…?” The owl hoots at him and extends one leg, a rolled piece of parchment tied to it. Carefully, Varian pulls the parchment free, handing the wet paper with care as he unrolls it. He frowns at the sight of one of Rapunzel’s paintings having been torn down the middle and he flips it over.

_I’m on my way back to Corona._  
Owl will keep an eye out for me, and when he finds me, follow him.  
We need to talk. 

_Do not tell Rapunzel._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had absolutely no intention for Varian to have as big of a role in this chapter as he did. BUT! That's okay because I wanted to expand more on his relationship with the girls.
> 
> So here we are, the Werewolf Episode that came out of nowhere but It's fun and I love Catalina a lot and relate to her a lot, so it gets a rewrite. (and Micha will be punished for throwing a brick at Rider, worry not.(i made him just for the sake of getting decked by Varian, but it just wasn't in the cards for this chapter, but soon... I promise))
> 
> Also fun fact! Eugene briefly suspecting Varian to be the wolf was inspired by my mom! Who suspected the same thing when we watched the episode two weeks ago! So shout out to her! :D
> 
> I will see you in the next update!


	7. Chapter VII: The Journey Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra journey's back to Corona.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all ready for some... Exposition?

Cassandra stares at a small campfire, listening to the wood crackle and the chirping crickets. She looks up to the sky, half expecting to see Owl circling above her, but he’s not there. He was the only one she had to talk to, well, the only one she didn’t mind talking too, at least.

But, if things went smoothly, he should be in Corona by now, and her message will be delivered.

She pulls her knees to her chest and watches the flames, tightly pulling a blanket she had found in the wreckage of the caravan. The old fabric itches against the exposed skin of her neck and jaw and she clutch it tighter, as her mind drifts to that night.

She remembers how her da-- _That man_ had wrapped her in a blanket. She remembers how it itched, and how softly he spoke to her. She remembers pleading with him not to leave when he was called away on another search for the princess.

She didn’t know where she was, or who the lady he left her with was, and she was _scared._

But then he came back, and he had _her_ with him. She remembers how her mother held her close, telling her that everything was alright, that she was safe, and that she had to go away for a while and she couldn’t come with her.

She remembers how she sang her the song from the music box until she could barely keep her eyes open, and then there was a pink light and when she woke up, her mother and her memories of her family were gone.

Cassandra blinks the tears in her eyes away and tightly hugs her knees. Her mother had left her. She did something to make her forget, and she left her alone with a stranger. But… _Why?_ Why did she even leave in the first place? And what happened to her father? Why wasn’t he with her that night? If the guard knew they were innocent and they didn’t have the princess, why would they release one but not the other?

Her expression hardens as she stares at the fire, her grip on the blanket tightening so much her hands shake. There’s only one man who knows what happened to them, and she’s going to get answers.

The captain of the royal guard set off from Corona over three months ago to find his daughter. 

He followed the map given to him to a T, he took the advice given to him and followed the rocks, only straying from the path when he needed to. He followed them to Vardaros, or what remained of it anyway. He followed them across the sea. And now they’ve led him to the husk of what once was known as the Great Tree.

The tree was destroyed, split apart into many places. Massive tree limbs littered the ground, blocking the natural path of a river and forcing it to flow elsewhere and create new channels. The deeper he went into the wreckage the more damage he came across.

The greenery looks as if it had the life sapped out of it, and the structure that once stood here was nothing more than a pile of rubble.

“I told you,” the captain stills at the sudden voice. “This is all that’s left of the Great Tree. All of the incantations were destroyed.”

His heart stops and he hides behind one of the tree limbs.

“Those incantations were the only way to unlock the power of the moonstone,” Zhan Tiri says in an irritated tone as she looks around what was once her stronghold. “That wretched little brat truly did make a mess of this place, didn’t he?”

“Hey,” Cassandra shoots her a glare. “Don’t pin this on the kid, it was _your_ magic that possessed him in the first place. Besides, it was Rapunzel who used the incantation and killed the tree.”

The corner of Zhan Tiri’s mouth twitches into a faint smirk. “Protective, are we?”

“Shut up,”

Zhan Tiri hums as the girl begins rifling through the scrolls, watching as they crumble in her hand. Her smile widens when a man dressed in red and gold steps out of hiding.

“Cassandra!” the young woman goes stiff, eyes widening as she looks up at him. “Why have you turned your back on the princess?!”

She glares at him and she stands. “I’ll leave you two to catch up.” Zhan Tiri says from behind her and fades away.

“How _dare_ you ask me that!” Cassandra draws her sword and points it at him. “You _knew_ how much was taken from me! You knew who my parents were, and you did nothing but lie to me my entire life!”

“Cassandra, you don’t understand--”

“What’s not to understand? You only locked up two innocent people for a crime they didn’t commit!”

“I know,”

Pure rage crosses her features and her arm begins to shake. “Then _why?_ Tell me why!”

The captain of the guard releases a deep sigh. “Your father was the head of the separatist movement. He had organized many crimes against the kingdom throughout the years to cause a panic, and he had planned to use the death of the queen to launch their assault, believing Corona would be at its weakest without her. But when she survived and the princess was born… It was his horse that Gothel used in her getaway. That was enough to make him an accomplice.”

“And my mother?” Cassandra demands, eyes narrowing when the captain’s expression changes.

“Your mother was my friend, Cassandra. I had known her for many years, and she was a good woman.” he sighs deeply and drags a hand down his face. “She was a potion maker, a healer, one of the best, which is why when the physicians couldn’t find a cure for the queen, I suggested her.”

“She knew the risk she was taking when she agreed to help, but she did everything she could regardless. She didn’t want to see Corona destroyed. She wanted a good life for you, Cassandra, that’s why she did what she did and turned her back on the other loyalists. For _you._ ”

“She _left_ me!”

“To protect you, Cassandra!” The captain tells her. “Saporia has never treated traitors lightly. So she used this... This wand on you, to make you forget about her and your father, so you could be happy... She only left you because that’s what she thought was best for you!”

“Where is she, then?”

He frowns deeply. “Cassandra, she’s gone. She vanished after that night, and I never saw or heard from her again. But, rumors say she died over a decade ago."

A tense silence fills the space between them, and Cassandra blinks back the tears that sting her eyes as she lets his words sink in.

“You’re lying…” she says through gritted teeth. “All you’ve ever done is lie to me!”

“Cassandra, I was only doing what we thought was--”

“No! You were only doing what was best for yourself! That’s all anyone in my life has ever done, and now, that’s what _I’m_ doing! _This,_ ” she clutches the opal on her chest. “Is mine! This is my _destiny!_ ”

The captain’s expression hardens and he grabs the hilt of his sword. “I command you to surrender!” he barks and she flinches involuntarily.

“ _Never!_ ”

Cassandra lunges at him and they lock blades. She makes quick work rendering his sword useless, shattering it on the shadow blade before kicking him away. In a fit of rage, she raises the blade and swings it down, only for another sword to block the attack. Her eyes narrow dangerously at the newcomer.

“Adira,” she spats, jumping back and putting a few feet between them. “Don’t you know it’s rude to interfere with family matters?”

“You know, I’m all for following your destiny, in fact, I encourage it, but something tells me that _this_ ,” she gestures to the stone. “Isn’t your destiny, and I think deep down, you know that.”

“Well,” Cassandra smirks. “You thought wrong.”

She charges at her, and she dodges each of her attacks. Adira matches her movements with her own, and once her sword has shattered on the shadow blade, she took to her preferred hand to hand combat. 

“I don’t know what happened to you, Cassandra,” Adira says and Cassandra falters. This is the first time she’s ever called her by name, and it sounds… Strange in her voice. Adira takes the chance to knock her away. “But the swordswoman I met in Vardaros, who I heard _so much_ about would never turn her back on her friends or her home.”

“The Moonstone’s changing you, girl,” the young woman turns to Hector, still bandaged from their last encounter. “You’d be wise to hand it over before it completely changes you into something you won’t recognize.”

“Cassandra,” she turns back to her fa-- _that man_ as he stands. “Please, this isn’t you.”

Cassandra takes a step back, her grip on the blade tightening as she looks between them. Her heart pounds in her chest and her ears ring, and with a frustrated cry, she cuts through the stone pillars supporting what remained of the ceiling, causing it to collapse and separate them.

She takes another step back before turning from the rubble and running as fast as her legs could carry her, ignoring the captain as he calls for her.

When Cassandra finally stops to catch her breath, she collapses to her knees with a cry of anguish. She fists her hands into her hair and tugs at it as she curls in on herself.

Her father was as good as dead, even if he didn’t directly kidnap the princess, he played a part in it. He was her accomplice. That alone was enough to sentence him to death. And even if it wasn’t, any other crime he committed, the plans, everything he had done before then would have earned him a life sentence in the mines.

And her mother, they had let her go but… If what he said was true then she was gone too. Killed by her own people? Her family, even? And for what? Giving some medicine to a dying woman?

Her hands fall from her hair and into her lap as she stares at the ground, turning tense when a hand is placed on her shoulder.

“I’m so sorry, Cassandra,” Zhan Tiri says almost sympathetically. “It pains me to see just how much Rapunzel has taken from you.”

_She was kidnapped! It wasn’t her fault!_ Cassandra clenches her fists as Eugene’s voice bounces around in her skull. 

Her mind drifts back to when they escaped the House of Yesterday’s Tomorrow, to when Varian emerged from that door and broke down in Rapunzel’s arms while repeating ‘it’s not her fault’ over and over again.

But it _is_ her fault. She has the Sundrop’s power that led Gothel to take her in the first place. That led to her parents being taken from her. It _has_ to be her fault… Right?

No. This doesn’t feel right.

She slowly rises to her feet and takes a deep breath of the crisp morning air. “Let’s get going,” she says quietly and walks away from the ghostly girl. “The sooner we get to Corona the better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RIP Cass's parents (at least her dad, Eden may still be out there somewhere :3c)
> 
> So... Yeah, this is another chapter that didn't go the way I had originally plan, but, i just got in The Zone™ and this is what happened.
> 
> I'm pretty pleased with this chapter.
> 
> I'll see you all in the next update.


	8. Chapter VIII: Struggles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Cassandra continues to struggle with the black rocks, Varian continues to struggle with nightmares and the scroll as Rapunzel struggles to come to terms that she may not get Cass back, and Zhan Tiri meddles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another short-ish chapter to set things up for next time ;)
> 
> Please enjoy

Cassandra’s arm shakes as she focuses on a patch of dirt. She grits her teeth as the sharp point of a black rock begins growing there, disrupting a flower but not growing beyond a short spike.

She drops to her knees with a frustrated groan. “I can’t do it,” she says. She places her hands on her knees, her fingertips digging into the black rock armor that protects her.

Ever since she encountered the captain, she’s been completely unable to do anything with the rocks. Every time she tries, any anger she feels quickly turns into grief for a life, for people, she barely even knew.

“Giving up already?” Zhan Tiri asks and Cassandra’s shoulders slump. “I wonder what your father would think.”

“Which one?” Cassandra asks with a bitter laugh. “They’re both disappointed in me, but for different reasons.” she sighs deeply and stares at the spike. “And my mother… She--”

“Abandoned you,” Zhan Tiri interrupts her. “She left you behind, erased your memories, and left to save herself. You shouldn’t care what she would think of you now.”

“No, that’s not… She was only trying to protect me--”

“Yes, but think for a moment, Cassandra. She knew what she was doing when she chose to try to save the queen. She knew her actions would label her a traitor, that it would put you in danger, but she chose to go through with them anyway.” Zhan Tiri sees Cassandra’s shoulders tense as the realization hits her and she grins.

“Even your own _mother_ chose to save Rapunzel over you.” Her grin widens when Cassandra lets out a yell and a small cluster of black rocks sprout from the ground.

Varian sits at his desk with his head in his hands. His goggles hang around his neck, and his hair in his eyes as he stares at his desk. Crumpled up notes, torn paper, broken quills, chewed on pencils, the scroll, the book, the letter, all of it littered the surface and only served to frustrate him more than he already was.

“ _Varian!_ ” He sits upright, turning away from the papers when he hears his father calls for him. He sounded… Desperate. Something’s wrong.

Varian jumps from his seat and hurries out of the room, quickly finding himself in his lab. “Dad, what's wrong--” his voice catches in his throat and his blood runs cold.

His father stands before him, reaching out to him as amber slowly creeps up his chest. “Varian!”

“N-N-No, Dad! Not again!” Varian tries to run forward but he’s stuck in place. He looks down at himself, going pale when he sees roots and vines, glowing a bright, sickly green, coiling around his legs and up to his waist. “Dad!”

The vines around him tighten as he reaches out for his father’s hand, tears springing to his eyes when he sees Zhan Tiri’s demonic form take shape behind his father.

“What was that you said?” the demon croons and the vines become tighter. “That you were going to stop me?”

Varian looks between the demon and his father, the amber was already up to his neck, at this rate he would be encased again, and this time there was no telling if he’d survive. 

“I-I can still-- ”Panic fills him as the roots and vines make their way up and around his neck, choking him. He’s forced to look at her when she grabs his chin with her claws with a wide smile on her face.

“Oh, my dear boy, I’ve already won.”

Varian bolts upright in his chair, clawing at his throat and loosening his collar to help him breathe. He jumps out of the chair, sending it tumbling to the ground and runs out of the room and down the stairs, skipping every other step in his hurry.

He comes to the cellar door and he freezes when he closes his hand around the door handle. His heart pounds in his chest and his hand trembles around the handle. He hasn’t been in the cellar since his father was freed from the amber. He hasn’t been able to bring himself to step foot in there, because every time he so much as _looks_ at the door all he can see is his father encased again.

“Varian?” a gentle hand on his back makes his hand drop away from the door. He turns to his father, relief washing over him. “Are you alright?”

“Y-Yeah, I-” Varian takes a shaky breath. “I’m okay.” He lets his father lead him away from the cellar but looks back at the door from over his shoulder. “Just a nightmare…”

Rapunzel wanders the garden with Pascal on her shoulder. Things were quiet in Corona today, and she doesn’t have many princessly duties to attend today either. She has the day to herself and she doesn’t know what to do with it.

She’s tried painting, sewing, baking, and all her usual hobbies, but she can’t seem to concentrate on any of them. Things have been quiet since she returned to Corona, aside from the run-in with the Stabbingtons and the whole werewolf thing, nothing’s happened.

“You know Pascal,” she begins. “I kind of miss all the chaos from traveling. I know it’s crazy, but part of me wishes something would happen to shake things up a little bit.”

Pascal chirps in response before catching a fly that buzzes by. As he swallows, he looks at Rapunzel when she sits on a bench beneath an arched trellis with pink roses growing on it. 

The princess twiddles her thumbs in her lap, staring at her feet as she lets her mind wander. With nothing to do, she’s unable to distract herself from how _badly_ she wants to fix things. Not only for herself, but for her kingdom. For her friends, her family, and for Cassandra.

She can't even begin to imagine the pain her friend must be feeling. 

“I wish she would come home… So we could work something out, Pascal…” she whispers and stares at the ground. Pascal frowns deeply, nuzzling her cheek when he sees tears well in her eyes.

Rapunzel sucks in a breath, tightly clutching her skirt to keep her hands from shaking. What if Cassandra _dosen't_ want to come back? What if she doesn't want to work things out and be friends again? That the damage that had been done is just too much for anyone to ever fix.

What if she lost her forever?

Eugene’s heart aches as he hears Rapunzel cry, and he blinks away the tears in his eyes. He didn't mean to eavesdrop, he didn't, but things happen and he wishes he decided to help Lance with the castle tours. 

He takes a breath and the crow perched on his shoulder makes a clicking sound as he turns and walks back the way he came.

Even after the few talks, they had about what happened in the Moonstone’s chamber, and despite Rapunzel’s best efforts to find a new lady in waiting, and despite her saying otherwise, he knows that she’s still bottling things up. That she’s still hurting.

It pains him to know that if he goes to comfort her that she’ll put on her happy princess façade and act like everything’s fine when they both know it’s not.

But… As long as she has a shoulder, albeit a tiny green shoulder, to cry on when she needs it, that’ll have to do until she’s ready to talk more.

His mind drifts to Cassandra, and he can’t help but feel that if _she_ had a shoulder to cry on that none of them would be in this position. But he knows that Cassandra’s even _worse_ than Rapunzel when it comes to bottling things up, so maybe things would have turned out the same anyway.

“You know, Hammy,” he sighs, and the bird coos at the nickname. “I’m kind of glad Cass took the Moonstone,” he admits. “I mean… It could have killed Rapunzel if she had been the one to grab it, so… I guess you can say she saved her life.”

Hamuel makes another clicking noise and Eugene sighs. “I just wish I knew how to help bring her home,” he glances at Rapunzel. “For her sake.”

Cassandra stares at the sky from where she sits on a black rock on the outskirts of Vardaros. She's only two short weeks away from Corona, which means she's that much closer to her inevitable confrontation with the princess. She knows that she's going to try and take the Moonstone from her, but she'll be damned if she's just going to sit by and let her take anything else from her.

She swallows the lump in her throat. Just how far is she willing to go to protect what's hers? What is she willing to do? She lets out a shaky breath and pulls one knee to her chest before glancing around for the demon.

She's hasn't been around in a few days, and as much as she hates to admit it, and knows that she shouldn't, she misses her company. She shakes her head and stands up from the rock to continue down her path.

The sooner she's in Corona the sooner she can ditch the demon for someone she actually _wants_ around and someone she can _trust._

Varian sits at his desk again, tapping his pencil on the blank page of a notebook as he ignores the dull ache in his back from being hunched most of the day. The sun had set over an hour ago, and his candle was burning low, ready to go out at any moment after one too many all-nighters.

“Come on, Demanitus,” he chews on his pencil as he glares at the scroll. “What does it mean?” He groans and lets his head drop onto his desk with a thud when the candle finally goes out.

He can’t focus. Between his nightmares and everything going on in Old Corona with the construction and people moving back, he just can’t focus on the scroll right now. He turns his head, looking down at Rider when she puts her head in his lap, her tail thumping on the floor.

“You’re right,” he says and the dog backs away from him, happily bouncing in a circle. “A walk _will_ clear my head.”

After telling his father he was going out for a while, Varian leads Rider to the outskirts of the village, and to the clearing, he usually comes to work when his father insists on him getting some fresh air. 

He picks up a random stick and throws it for her to chase, and they engage in a game of fetch until the dog takes to lazily chewing on it while lying on her side.

Varian sits down beside her and sets his pack in front of him, digging through it to find his latest project, only to come across the painting instead. With a heavy sigh, he pulls it out, staring at the painted smile of the princess before turning it over and reading the letter for the umpteenth time since he got it over three weeks ago.

“What are you up too, Cass?”

“She’s fulfilling her destiny,” Varian nearly rips the parchment in two when he hears the sudden voice. He quickly gets to his feet, looking around the clearing until he spots her a few yards away from him. “One you were too afraid to fulfill yourself.”

“What do you want?”

“To talk.”

“About?”

“Your connection to the rocks and the Moonstone,” Zhan Tiri answers. “To Cassandra.” Varian’s eyes narrow at her and she smiles. “Surely you’ve pieced some of it together? When you touched the stone to get it away from her, it granted you more of its power.”

“Yeah, I figured that out,” he admits, tightly gripping the painting in his hand. “What I haven’t figured out is how I even had a connection to it in the first place.”

“Oh, that’s quite simple. The day the Dark Kingdom fell, the Moonstone let out a burst of energy, your father was within close enough proximity to absorb this energy, and that energy was later passed onto you. Much like how the queen absorbed the powers of the Sundrop and passed them onto Rapunzel.”

Varian hums as he considers this new information. It’s sound logic, and it honestly makes more sense than anything he had considered before, but he’ll be damned if he’d ever admitted that to her.

“And, because of my connection to the Moonstone, I’m connected to Cass now because she has it?” he asks and Zhan Tiri nods.

“Tell me, have you had any reaction from the rocks?”

“No,” he answers bluntly. Varian thinks back to the day he had a panic attack in the woods. “A-At least not intentionally…” he mumbles and Zhan Tiri looks at him with interest. “Look, whatever you want from me, it’s not happening! So just… Just leave. You’ve done enough.”

A sigh escapes the ghostly figure. “Very well,” she turns from him. “Just one more thing before I go,” A wicked smile grows on her face as she keeps her back to him. “Cassandra isn’t going to simply give up her goal, or the Moonstone without a fight. So unless you want to see your home, your friends, and your family destroyed, you must be prepared to destroy _her_ first.”

“D-Destroy… How could… I-I can’t!”

“Can’t you? Isn’t that what you've been training to do?” The ghost nods her head towards his belt buckle. “I was under the impression that members of the Brotherhood are prepared to do _anything_ it takes to keep the Moonstone out of the wrong hands?”

Varian’s mouth turns dry as he breaks into a sweat. He opens his mouth to say something, but he’s unable to find his voice. He knows he has to be prepared for whatever Cassandra has planned when she returns to Corona, even if it means fighting her, but… _Destroy_ her? 

His heart beats at a rabbit's pace in his chest. That can’t be the only way to stop her.

“There has to be a--”

Varian stumbles when red rocks burst from the ground, tearing a path through the forest back towards his village. He looks at the ghost with confusion. “W-What’s going on?”

“Like Cassandra, you’re connected to the rocks. They respond to your feelings,” Zhan Tiri answers. “In Cassandra’s case, they respond to her anger, but in your case, it seems they respond to your fear.” 

Varian turns back to the rocks, swallowing hard as the color drains from his face. Zhan Tiri smiles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not 100% satisfied with this chapter, but it just sets up things later to come. and kicks off my little Red Rock arc.
> 
> I will see you guys in the next update.


	9. Chapter IX: Bigger Than That

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian seeks Rapunzel for help when new rocks appear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO, I was originally going to split this into two chapters but, but... I didn't have enough for two chapters so you get one, extra long chapter.
> 
> Please enjoy

The trembling of the ground pulls Quirin, and many other of the villagers out of their homes. His eyes turn wide with alarm at the sight of more rocks growing in throughout the village.

They were sprouting from the ground, puncturing the walls of a few houses, breaking a few fences. What’s more is that they’re red, letting off an eerie glow like he’s never seen before as they stretch far beyond the eye could see and towards the capital.

He eyes the rocks with a furrowed brow, this certainly was new.

Ruddiger sniffs at the rocks at their doorstep, his fur bristles and he hisses at them prompting Quirin to pick him up. The raccoon moves to his shoulder and he presses his hand to the rocks, quickly pulling away when a feeling of fear fills him.

Quirin looks away from the rocks when the crowd begins talking over one another.

“I thought the rocks were taken care of?” one of the villagers asks, looking at Quirin.

“We were told it was safe to come home!” another shouts.

“Everyone, please,” Quirin steps forward, avoiding the rocks in his path and puts his hands up to hush the crowd. “Please, remain calm. I assure you, I will get to the bottom of these new rocks, and you will not have to leave your homes again!”

He looks back towards the capital, reaching up to scratch under Ruddiger’s chin when he chitters nervously. “I’ll bring this to the attention of the king immediately,” he says to the crowd. “Please, stay in your homes and away from the rocks until I return.”

“Okay,” Rapunzel pants as she frees Lance and Faith from her hair. “When I said I wanted something to shake things up a little bit,” her gaze turns to the red rock that now punctures the castle wall. Cracks run up the wall and have caused the balcony that the maid was in the middle of cleaning to crumble under her.

If not for Lance being quick on his feet, and Rapunzel quick with her hair, Faith would have been seriously hurt.

“ _This_ isn’t what I meant,” she says as she approaches the rock, and Pascal chirps with concern.

“Oh come on, they come in _red_ now?” Eugene demands. “Weren’t they creepy enough before?”

Rapunzel stares up at the spike and presses her hand to its smooth surface, a shiver runs up her spine and she pulls away from it, shaking her hand. She looks from her hand to the rock with confusion before looking behind her and towards the city, her face going pale.

“Blondie?” Eugene walks over to her and she looks at him briefly before turning back to the city. “Are you alright?”

Rapunzel sucks in a breath before she tears her eyes away from the city and turns to Eugene. “I think Varian’s in trouble.”

“H-How do I get rid of them?” Varian asks, looking between the red rocks and the ghost girl beside him. “You know about the Moonstone, so… So you have to know how to stop the rocks!”

“I’ll tell you just as I have Cassandra, the only way to fully control the rocks is with the use of a special incantation,” Zhan Tiri explains. “However, since you do not physically possess the Moonstone, I can’t say that you’ll be able to use the incantation at all.”

Varian chews on his lower lip. The Demanitus scroll is currently on his desk at home, and if what Demantius said was true, then it has the incantation written on it. But, even if he had it on his person right now, he still hasn’t translated enough of it to do anything with, and what he _has_ translated is complete gibberish. He knows it’s a cipher of sorts, it has to be, but he has no idea how to even start to decipher it.

Zhan Tiri can all but see the gears turning in the boy's head, as he stands there with a hand to his chin and his eyes fixed on the ground as he mumbles to himself. She’s unable to stop herself from smiling an almost fond smile as she’s reminded of a time long gone.

Varian lets out a groan and shakes his head. “I’m just going to have to find another way to get rid of them,” he says and takes off with Rider on his heels.

Zhan Tiri grins. This is going to be interesting.

Cassandra glares at the path ahead of her. The rocks that dotted the path were slowly turning red and the sight of it made her uneasy. She touches the Moonstone. She hadn’t done this, so… What did?

Carefully, she approaches one of the spikes and touches it. She blinks and looks back up at the path with concern. “Varian?” 

He’s scared. Terrified even. But of what? The kid stared death in the face without so much as flinching more times than she likes to think about, so what could have scared him?

But more importantly… What is his connection to these rocks, and why does he have it?

Varian runs as fast as he can to Old Corona, doubling over with his hands on his knees once he reaches the village square. He takes deep breaths to ease the burning in his lungs.

“Varian!” he raises his head when his father calls for him. His breath hitches and his heart stops upon the sight of father once again being encased in the amber and the sight of the village destroyed by these new rocks.

“No,” he takes a step back, trying not to cry when Quirin reaches out to him for help. “No, no, this can’t be happening!”

Varian yelps when Rider suddenly bites him, not hard enough to hurt him, just enough to get his attention. He shakes his hand and turns back to his father, finding him missing and the village still intact. He rubs his eyes.

“It’s official, I’m losing my mind.”

“It’s the rocks,” Varian jumps when Zhan Tiri manifests beside him. “They’re playing with your head.”

“You _would_ know all about that, wouldn’t you?” Varian grumbles and runs to his house. “Dad?”

“Varian!” relief washes over him when Quirin pulls him into a bone crushing hug. “Thank goodness you’re okay.” he squeezes him tighter, the vision of his son impaled on the rocks still fresh in his mind. He shakes his head. “I’m glad you’re alright.”

“I’m glad you’re okay too,” Varian pulls away from him. “But… _Please_ tell me you know what’s going on?”

“I wish I did.” Quirin answers. “I’m heading to the capital now to speak with the king--”

“No, _I’ll_ go to the capital and speak with the princess,” Varian walks past him and hurries upstairs. “ _She’ll_ actually help us.”

Quirin goes to argue but stops himself. He knows that Varian’s respect for the king was near nonexistent since he returned from the Dark Kingdom, and what little he had was on a superficial level. But, he also knew that he was right; that the princess was far more likely to do something about these new rocks than her father.

It’s not long before Varian returns from his room, his bag nearly full to the brim with everything he could need and Ruddiger climbs onto his shoulder.

“Varian, be careful. These rocks… They aren’t normal.”

“I-I know…” Varian bites his lip. “Dad, I…” his voice dies in his throat, and he tightly grips the straps to his pack. “I… I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Alright, just promise you’ll be careful.”

“I promise, Dad.” Varian forces a smile and leaves. He closes the door behind him and leans against it, taking deep breaths to calm himself down when the sight of Old Corona in ruins meets his eyes.

“You haven’t told him of your connection to the Moonstone?” Zhan Tiri asks and he shoots her a glare. “I suppose it’s fair, after all, I’m positive he still has his fair share of secrets.”

Varian scowls at her and pushes himself away from the door. “Just shut up, would you?”

Corona is a mess. Red rocks were sprouting up everywhere like weeds, and everyone who was near them was sent into a panic, screaming and running away from things that only they could see.

Rapunzel stares ahead of her as Lance runs by, screaming about how… Something, won’t make him sing. She stares at _her_ as she stands a good distance from her amongst the black rocks. She has to keep herself from reaching out to her, to keep herself from calling her name as she turns away from her and vanishes in the flames.

“Rapunzel?” A squeeze to her hand pulls her back to reality and she looks at Eugene. “You okay?”

“I’m alright, Eugene,” she says, squeezing his hand in return. “I think these rocks are showing people their worst fears…” Her eyebrows knit together when she catches him staring intently at their reflections in a shop window, but not in the way he usually does. “Eugene?”

Eugene licks his lower lip, ignoring the dull pain in his side as he watches that… That _witch,_ gripped a chain connecting to Rapunzel’s writs with one hand and ran the other through her golden hair. He tears his eyes away from her and turns them back to his girlfriend and forces a grin.

“I’m okay, Blondie,” he tells her. “Just a... A cowlick,” he says quickly, running his hand through his hair in an attempt to fix it. “Yeah, a cowlick.”

Rapunzel smiles fondly and rolls her eyes.

“Rapunzel!” The couple turns around to Varian as he runs over to them. Rapunzel lets out a heavy sigh of relief and she quickly closes the space between them, pulling him into her arms.

“Varian! You’re okay!” She exclaims, squeezing him tight. “I was so worried about you, I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner, but things are…” she trails off as Atilla runs by, crying about burning something. “Things are a little crazy at the moment.”

She pulls away from him, quickly looking him over. “What happened? Are you hurt? What are these rocks?”

“These rocks, they uh… They’re a product of fear,” Varian touches the one closest to him, quickly pulling away and shaking his hand as a shiver runs down his spine. “M-My fear.”

Rapunzel’s eyebrows furrow and Eugene steps up beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder and asks, “What do you mean?”

“I don’t have all the details, but whatever connection I have to the Moonstone only became stronger after what happened in the Dark Kingdom,” he begins. “The power of the Moonstone was split when Cass and I fought for it, and it reacts to our emotional state. For Cass, the rocks respond to her anger, but for me, they respond to my fear and that’s all I know.”

“Then… Can you… You know, get rid of them?” Eugene asks him.

“I-I don’t know how…” Varian admits in a small voice. “I still haven’t translated the scroll, I…” he trails off and looks around at the city, hands trembling as he sees everything destroyed by the red rocks and his father desperately calls out for him while the amber grows around him, blind to the new cluster of red rocks growing beside him.

“Varian,” Rapunzel takes his hands into hers, pulling him away from the rocks and running her thumbs along the back of his leather gloves in an attempt to calm his nerves. “It’s okay,” she smiles reassuringly at him. “We’ll fix this together.”

Varian gives her a weak smile and nods.

Eugene looks behind the pair, raising an eyebrow. “Hey, kid? Has your cat always been… Red?”

This prompts the boy to look away from Rapunzel and turn back to Ruddiger. “Ruddiger?” he calls to the raccoon, letting go of the princess’s hands and getting on his knees in front of him. “Buddy?” The raccoon’s muzzle is frozen mid hiss and his fur is bristled, sticking out in every direction. Varian picks him up and looks at Rapunzel and Eugene.

“Is he okay?” Rapunzel asks as Pascal hops from her shoulder and onto Ruddiger’s head and knocks.

“He’s frozen solid…” Varian answers with a deep frown. He hums in thought and looks at the rocks. He swallows hard. “I have a theory; if you’re exposed to the rocks and their effects for too long, you’ll become frozen with terror,” he looks back to Ruddiger feeling a twinge of guilt as he stares at him. “Maybe even permanently.”

Rapunzel forces a smile. “Well, boys, it looks like we have to find a way to turn those fearful frowns upside down!” she declares as she carefully adjusts Ruddiger’s muzzle into a grin. Eugene cringes and she laughs nervously while quickly readjusting his muzzle to its previous, much less disturbing, expression. “Okay, let’s get started.”

Cassandra stares wide-eyed at the trail of bloodied golden blonde hair before her, caught on countless black rocks. She follows the trail with her eyes, her heart beating loudly in her chest when she sees a bloodied Eugene tangled in it, and then Lance, and Varian, and finally, Rapunzel. The princess lays at her feet, staring up at her with vacant eyes, clouded over and filled with tears.

She takes a step back, opening and closing her mouth to speak but unable to find her voice. She catches sight of her hands, her stomach churning at the sight of the blood staining her armor.

“No, no,” she backs away. “No, please, I don’t-- I didn’t--” She puts her face in her hands and backs further away.

She’s fully prepared to fight for her destiny, but there’s always been that nagging thought in the back of her mind that she’ll have to do _more_ than fight, and it admittedly terrifies her.

It terrifies her because she knows that she _will_ go that far if she has too. 

Eugene taps his fingers on his forearm as he watches Rapunzel paint, trying everything he can to ignore the witch as she hums while twirling a lock of Rapunzel’s hair around her finger. His heart skips a beat at the sight of the dagger on the woman's hip.

He’d be lying if he said he didn’t have nightmares from time to time about the day he died. Or if he said that the place he was stabbed didn’t hurt every now and then. But what scared him the most, what made him wake up in a cold sweat was the very thought of that awful woman taking Rapunzel away forever. Locking her up, keeping her prisoner for the rest of her life, and using her for her power.

And now that fear has manifested itself before him; Rapunzel in chains unable to run or fight back as that witch used and abused her.

“There,” Rapunzel says, smiling at her work. “Think that’ll keep people away from these rocks?”

Eugene hums and eyes the painting. It’s of himself and Varian, surrounded by the red rocks, looking terrified with ‘STAY AWAY’ painted above them in big letters. “Couldn’t you have made us look more… You know… Brave?”

“Oh come on,” Rapunzel gives him puppy dog eyes. “You look so cute when you’re screaming in terror.”

“While that is true, you’re going to damage the kid’s pride,” he nudges her playfully with his elbow. “But, uh… Sunshine… Why aren’t _you_ affected by these rocks?”

“Because… As long as I have Pascal with me, I’m not afraid of anything.” Rapunzel smiles while Pascal puffs out his chest.

“Guys?” they turn to Varian. “I think I have an idea.”

“Okay so,” Varian crouches beside the strategy table, eyeing the map he and the princess had thrown together. “Theoretically, if we can sever… This,” he draws a circle on the map. “Chain of rocks, with one of my alchemical solutions we should be able to cut off their power.”

“Oh, we can totally cut them off,’ Rapunzel says with an affirmative nod.

“Great, we just need a cavern that runs deep enough.”

“A deep cavern…” Rapunzel hums in thought as she and Varian stand up. “Oh! I know _just_ the place,” she grabs his hands. “You’re going to love it, come on!”

“W-Wait, we haven’t worked out the finer details!” Varian tries to protest as she drags him out of the strategy room.

A scream forces the princess to a halt, and the alchemist ends up bumping into her. They watch as one of the maids pleads with whatever the red rocks are showing her, backing up until her back pressed against the rocks and she freezes with fear. Rapunzel swallows hard.

“Well, we’ll just have to work them out on the way there.”

“Eugene, Lance,” Rapunzel looks to the two men while Varian looks through his bag. “I need you two to keep the spirits of the townspeople up. We can’t let fear consume them. And that includes the two of you.”

“Don’t worry, princess, we’ll think of--” Lance’s voice breaks off into a shriek as he stares wide-eyed with his mouth agape in horror above Rapunzel. He babbles something about a clown spider and takes off, leaving Eugene to catch the frozen Ruddiger before he could fall to the ground.

“I’ll think of something,” Eugene assures her, tucking the raccoon safely under his arm.

“How kind of the princess to help you clean up your mess,” Zhan Tiri muses and Varian glares at her. “I wonder though, would she help if her kingdom weren’t at risk?”

“Can’t you go be annoying somewhere else?” Varian demands in a hushed tone.

“Unfortunately for you, I’m curious to see how this little plan of yours turns out.”

Varian scowls and turns back to his bag, staring at the glowing yellow liquid for a moment before closing the bag and fastening it closed. He puts on a smile when Rapunzel walks up to him.

“Are you ready?” she asks him.

“Not in the slightest,” he answers, causing her to grin and link their arms together.

“Great! Let’s go then!”

Rapunzel listens to the sounds echoing around her as she guides Varian through the tunnels; the buzzing of a fly, their footsteps, and Varian’s muttering. She glances at him from over her shoulder. His eyes are fixed on the ground and he was gripping his pack so tightly she’s sure his knuckles are white beneath his gloves.

“Varian, are you okay?” she asks him and he turns his gaze to her. “You’ve said ‘no problem we got this’ twenty-three times now,” she shows him her journal, one page is a sketch of him nervous, and the other page has twenty-three tally marks on it. “I’ve been keeping track.”

The boy snorts in laughter. “Yeah, okay, that’s cute. I just…” he sighs. “I’m a little on edge.”

“I know,” Rapunzel closes her journal and offers him her hand, earning a scoff in response.

“I’m not a little kid, Rapunzel.”

Rapunzel pouts. “You’re never too old to hold hands with your big sister, Varian,” she says, making grabbing motions with her outstretched hand.

Varian rolls his eyes with a fond smile before relenting and taking her hand.

“My, my,” Zhan Tiri hums. “I didn’t realize you and the Sundrop were so close.” The alchemist ignores her and she smiles. Things are going better than she planned.

Pascal watches a fly buzz about the cavern from his place on Rapunzel’s shoulder. The fly lands on a nearby sconce and the chameleon quickly darts his tongue out to catch it. The sconce retracts into the wall as he pulls the fly into his mouth, and the sound of something mechanical in the walls causes the princess and the alchemist to fall silent.

The stone beneath them suddenly dips and opens over a pit. Rapunzel’s able to grab the ledge and pull herself to safety while Varian scrambles to save his supplies as they fall from his pack.

“No, no, no!” he fumbles with one of the vials, letting out a sigh of relief when he’s able to catch it in his hands and he stows it safely away in his bag. His relief quickly turns into dread as he finds himself sliding down into the mouth of the pit.

He grabs at the air as he falls into the rocky pit. His hands close around Rapunzel’s hair and he lets out a breathless laugh as she begins pulling him up. He quickly moves away from the ledge when his feet touch the ground and smiles at the princess gratefully.

“Th-Thank you,”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, but,” he opens his bag and pulls out the vial. “This is the only vial of my solution we have left…”

Rapunzel’s lips press into a thin line. “Then… We better make it count.” She frowns when she sees the expression on Varian’s face as he stares at the vial. “Varian…?” He doesn’t answer her and her frown deepens. “Varian, whatever the rocks are showing you, they’re just visions, they aren’t real.”

“Yes they are,” he looks up from the vial. “Do you know what this is?”

“It’s what’s going to help us sever the red rocks power,”

“Yes, but this is also the same compound that encased my father.” Rapunzel’s eyes widen and her chest tightens. “This stuff almost ruined my life,” he says quietly. “Because of this, I wanted to do _awful_ things… To Corona… To… To you… I…” he puts a hand in his har, swallowing hard as he sees the ghostly figure eyeing him. He loosens his collar when the feeling of being choked by vines returns. “And I almost did.”

“These rocks may make everyone else see hallucinations, but what I see _really_ happened.” His eyes dart around the cavern, swallowing hard at the sight of countless red rocks growing around them. “And it’s happening now…”

“Rapunzel, these rocks are destroying Corona and everything in their path, and it’s _my_ fault. _I’m_ destroying Corona, and you and everyone else are going to hate me for the rest of my life, and I--”

“Varian,” Rapunzel takes his shoulders. “I could _never_ hate you.” she tells him. “Not in a million years. And this?” she gestures to a random cluster of the rocks. “This was an _accident,_ and so was the amber. So stop being so hard on yourself, okay?”

“Yeah, that’s easy for you to say. You’re the embodiment of the Sundrop.”

“The _wonderous_ and _magical_ Sundrop, you mean?”

Rapunzel smiles when the corners of Varian’s mouth twitch into a smile. “You remember that, huh?” He mutters and rubs the back of his neck. The ground beneath them shakes and a few stray rocks fall from the ceiling above. “We need to hurry…”

“We’re almost there,” Rapunzel says, taking his hand again. “Come on, it’s just up ahead.”

Zhan Tiri follows behind the Sundrop and the alchemist as they travel further along the path. She sees the princess’s eyes flicker between the path and Varian, undoubtedly excited about what awaits for them at the end of the tunnel if the bounce in her step tells her anything.

“Well, Varian,” the princess begins once they’ve finally reached their destination. “You wanted a big underground cavern, right?” A grin spreads across her face and she waves out her arm. “I present to you; the Demanitus Chamber.”

Zhan Tiri grimaces as she floats into the chamber. It’s been so many centuries since she’s been here. Oh, the memories that the room brings back to her. Why she could practically see the old fool wandering around and while explaining to her and his students of his latest invention or hypothesizing about the Sundrop and Moonstone into all hours of the night while working on his machines.

“Woah,” Varian breaths out, catching her attention. The way his eyes sparkle as he stares up at the device before them further stirring up old memories. “This is… It’s… It’s amazing.”

“Close your mouth dear, you’ll catch flies.” the demon scolds him and he gives her an annoyed look.

“You should have seen it before all these red rocks were here,” Rapunzel says, folding her arms behind her back.

“You’ve been here before?”

“You could say that,” she smiles and scratches Pascal’s head. She hums. “You know… Demanitus _did_ name you his heir so… I guess this is yours now.”

Zhan Tiri blinks at this statement while the boy all but vibrates at the idea while the princess descends the staircase. “You’ve met Demanitus?” she asks him, genuinely confused. The old fool died millennia ago, they couldn't have met. It was impossible. Or at least it should have been.

“I did,” Varian answers. “Nice guy. He was a monkey.”

The demon’s calm demeanor falters and she opens her mouth to speak, but no words come out. She gawks as she tries to make sense of what was just told to her and Varian snickers before turning to follow after the princess.

“You might want to close your mouth,” he tells her. “You’ll catch flies.”

“Okay, there’s the base.” Varian approaches the edge of the pit housing the Demanitus Device. “Encasing it amber should cut off the fear--” the ground beneath them shakes violently and more red rocks begin growing.

“Pour now, explain later,” Rapunzel tells him, tightly securing her hair around his waist.

Varian leans over the edge, stretching out the vial to the red rocks, heart beating fast in his chest as he tries to ignore his father's pleas for help. He pours the compound onto the rock, and Rapunzel pulls him back.

He stands between her and the chemicals, an arm stretched out to keep her getting any closer to it when the amber starts growing. He holds his breath and waits for what feels like an eternity.

His eyes go wide when nothing happens and the compound simply dries up. “What? I-I don’t understand, it should have encased the rocks.”

Varian stares at the vial in his hand and turns back to the rocks. After a moment he lets out a groan. “Of course! By the sun, I’m so _stupid!_ Whatever’s causing the rocks to be a different color must have changed their chemical makeup, thus making the amber solution useless.”

“So… The solution only works on _black_ rocks, then?” Rapunzel asks as she looks around.

“Yeah, at least, what’s left of it.” Varian shakes the vial, swirling what little of the compound remains. Barely enough to cover the bottom. “But, I don’t see any black rocks around. If I knew how, I could _make_ some but…”

“No need,” Rapunzel guides his gaze to a single black rock towards the top of the Demanitus Device. “There’s one right there.”

“... So I have to climb… All the way up there?” he laughs nervously as Zhan Tiri hovers beside him.

“Only a complete fool would even attempt to--”

“Race you to the top!” Rapunzel declares, jumping onto the rocks and starts climbing with her hair trailing behind her.

Varian lets out a quiet laugh. “Typical Rapunzel,”

The Demanitus Device creaks and groans as the pair climb up its side. Varian returned to his mantra of ‘no problem we got this’ in an attempt to calm his nerves, and now and then he tells himself not to look down.

Debris crumbles from above and falls around the two, causing Varian to nearly lose his grip. He dangles from the ledge with one hand and makes the mistake of looking down.

The pit below them was full of amber and red rocks, sharp and deadly, ready to impale anything that falls. His father stares up at him, reaching for him with his one free hand as the amber grows around him.

Before he can react, he completely loses his grip on the ledge and he’s falling once again. Rapunzel’s hair is quick to wrap around his wrist and he clings to it as she supports them both in the air with the use of one of the device's support beams.

He looks at her with fear in his eyes. “Rapunzel, I’m sorry, but I can’t do this!”

“Varian, I know you’re scared, I am too! But we _have_ to get to that rock.”

“You don’t see what I see, Rapunzel!”

“I know! But that doesn’t mean I don’t see… Other things…” she sucks in a breath. “I see Corona… It’s covered in black rocks, and I see… I see… Cassandra… She’s conquered the kingdom, destroyed it forever.” A bitter laugh escapes her throat. “But you know what _really_ scares me? I’m terrified that I’m going to lose Cassandra as a friend… Forever.”

Varian’s chest aches at her confession, the sight of tears shining in her eyes making him want to reach out and hug her. His eyes dart to Zhan Tiri as she manifests behind the princess.

“A very real possibility if you’re unable to bring yourself to do what needs to be done and destroy Cassandra if necessary,” she warns.

Varian looks away from her and swings so he’s closer to the princess. “Rapunzel, I… I won’t let that happen. We’ll get her back, I don’t know how, but we will. I promise.”

“Thank you, Varian.” Rapunzel gives him a soft smile. Everything around them shakes as more debris falls from above.

“I’ll do it,” Varian says. “Just… Give me a lift?”

“One lift coming up!” Rapunzel swings herself once, twice, three times before letting herself drop down the safety of a ledge below them and giving Varian the boost he needed to land on one above. She turns around. “Be careful!”

Varian gives her a nod and starts climbing, leaving her to face the ever-growing rocks alone. The rocks corner her, and she tries to block them with her arms. When she touches them her eyes turn wide.

“Cass?”

Cassandra stumbles back as the lifeless eyes of the princess stare up at her. She puts her face in her hands, covering her eyes as she presses herself against one of the rocks.

“Please! I’m sorry, I--” she goes still when she feels Varian again, and lowers her hands when she feels someone else. “Rapunzel…?”

Rapunzel stares at the red rocks before here, her heart aching by just how _scared_ Cassandra felt. Her breath catches in her throat as her arms slowly begin turning red and Pascal jumps off her shoulder, quickly crawling up the device after the alchemist.

“V-Varian!”

Zhan Tiri watches as it becomes increasingly difficult for the boy to move as he’s slowly immobilized by his fear. The spread of the power of the red rock has already reached past his elbows.

“It’s not real,” he tells himself through gritted teeth, and red fades enough for him to move further. “ _It’s not real!_ ”

He reaches the lone black rock and quickly pulls out what remains of his chemical compound, fumbling with the vial when the growth of the red rocks causes the structure he’s on to shake again.

“No!” he cries when it slips out of his hand, desperately grabbing for it. The vial bounces along a metal support beams of the Demanitus Device, threatening to roll off and fall into the pit below, but it’s quickly caught by Pascal’s tongue and Varian sobs with relief. The chameleon crawls up his arm, carefully passing him the vial. “Nice catch, buddy.”

Pascal chirps nervously as the red power continues to creep up Varian’s person, it's up to his shoulders now and slowly making its way to his neck, forcing the chameleon to take refuge on his head as he extends the vial as far as he can over the rock.

The black rock slowly begins turning red, and his father cries out for him again. “Fight it, Varian, come on, fight the fear!” he tells himself, struggling to turn his wrist so he can pour the compound onto the rock. “Fight it!”

He’s finally able to pour the contents of the vial onto the very tip of the black rock, a wide smile spreading across his face when the amber begins to form, jutting out at random angles and curling delicately.

“It’s working!” The power of the red rocks fades away, both from the black rocks they had tainted and from his body, and he quickly makes his way down to the safety of the stone floor while the amber spreads across the rocks.

“Varian!” Rapunzel pulls him into a tight hug once he touches the ground. “You conquered your fears!” She pulls away to look at him with a bright smile. “I’m so _proud_ of you!”

Varian stiffens at her words, still not used to hearing that phrase. He gives her a goofy smile. “I-I couldn’t have done it without you,” he smiles when Pascal moves to his shoulder, chirping happily and nuzzling his jawline. “Or Pascal.”

“Yes, well done, my dear little Demanitus,” Zhan Tiri croons from behind the princess as she applauds his efforts. “You never cease to entertain.”

Varian ignores her again and offers the princess his arm. “Let’s get out of here.”

Cassandra sinks to her knees as the red glow from the rocks around her fade away, returning them to their usual black. With them, the vision of Rapunzel, her friends, and the blood on her hands fade away. 

She swallows hard, taking deep breaths to try and slow her heart rate before the damn thing bursts in her chest.

Even though the visions had gone, they were still fresh in her mind. The bloodied corpses of her friends killed by her own hands to secure her destiny. She frowns deeply. 

Were they even her friends anymore? After what she’s done, the destiny she stole in some desperate attempt to find her own, turning her back on each of them… Could they ever consider her a friend again?

Maybe… She could still go back. Maybe she could earn their forgiveness and their trust once again. Maybe she could find a _new_ destiny.

One where she doesn’t have to even _consider_ hurting the people who once considered her family.

But… Even if she does go back to them, things wouldn’t change, would they? They would just go back to the way they were before. She would just go back to living in Rapunzel’s shadow. Back to a life where everyone, including her mother, casts her aside for the princess.

She shakes her head. That still doesn’t sit right with her. She wasn’t even _born_ when her mother did what she did. It’s that demon. She’s playing tricks on her. Trying to get inside her head and turn her against her friends, and it _worked._

She laughs, an angry, bitter laugh.

“By the Sun, I’m so _stupid!_ ”

“Now, now, don’t say that,” Zhan Tiri appears in front of her. “You may act more on impulse than anything else, but you’re far from stupid.” The ghostly figure smiles in amusement when she glares. “Is something the matter?”

“I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you,” Cassandra says, ignoring her question. “You’ve done nothing but play with my head, well no more.” she rises to her feet. “I’m going back to Corona, and I’ll figure out how to use this damn stone without you.”

“Cassandra--”

“Shut up!” The swordswoman whirls around to face her. “I’m not going to be your pawn anymore!”

“Fine,” Zhan Tiri says in an annoyed tone. “As I told you before if you want to go back to living in the shadow of Rapunzel, I won’t stop you. But, that's not what you want, now is it?"

“You don't know what I want,” Cassandra turns away from her and continues down the path.

Zhan Tiri allows her fingers to turn into sharp claws as she watches the girl vanished from her line of sight. She sighs and looks up at the moon. Things had been going so smoothly. The girl was practically putty in her hands, and all she had to do was tell her a few lies, or what she wanted to hear.

She shouldn’t have left her alone for so long. It gave her time to think for herself.

“Well, I suppose it’s time for plan B.”

“You guys should have seen it, Lance was incredible!” Eugene says with a bright smile as he tells Rapunzel and Varian about the talent show he and Lance had organized for the townspeople. “Lance has the voice of an angel!”

Lance grins. “I was pretty good, wasn’t I?”

Rapunzel smiles, looking at the man. “You’ll have to sing for me sometime. Oh! Maybe we could even perform a duet!”

“Now, before Lance gets an even bigger head, I have to say that you two are the real heroes tonight,” Eugene says, turning his attention to the princess and the alchemist. “Seriously, you guys are incredible.”

“I can’t take any credit, it was all Varian,” Rapunzel says, nudging him with her elbow.

“Well, you saved from falling to my death at least twice so… I’d say we split the credit.” Varian responds while stoking Ruddiger’s tail.

“I guess that’s fair,” the princess hums. “You know… You tend to fall quite a bit.”

“Yeah, okay, new rule;” the two turn to Eugene. “Varian’s not allowed to climb high places or be near cliffs without adult supervision or someone to catch him anymore.”

“What? You can’t do that, you’re not my dad!”

“Maybe not, but I’m sure if your dad knew how many near-death experiences you’ve had with heights in the past year, he would agree with me. Also, I’m in charge of you when he’s not around.”

“Wha-- Since when?”

“Since right now.”

Varian rolls his eyes and turns on his heel. “I’m going home,” he announces. “I need to talk with my dad about… Well, you know.”

“Do you want me to come with you, Varian?” Rapunzel asks. “I could help explain.”

“No, it’s okay. I need to do this on my own…” Varian frowns suddenly. “But uh… Can I talk to you about something before I go? In private?”

Rapunzel nods and together they walk along the cobblestone street to the bridge connecting the capital island to the inland. They come to a stop at the center of the bridge, and Varian looks out at the water, the midmorning sun reflecting off the waves and making it sparkle.

“Rapunzel, I…” he takes a breath and turns back to her. “About three weeks ago, Cassandra… She sent me a letter.”

Rapunzel’s eyes widen slightly but she waits for him to continue. “She’s coming back to Corona and she wants to meet with me once she returns. Alone.”

“Varian, you… I know you’re more than capable of handling yourself, but… We don’t know what she wants. It… It could be a trap.”

“I know, but…” he thinks about what she had told him in the chamber. “I might be able to get through to her. I’ll be careful, I promise, just… I know you felt her too… When you touched the red rocks.”

“You felt how scared she was, there’s still a chance to save her, Rapunzel. Please, let me try.”

Rapunzel closes her eyes and sighs deeply through her nose before looking at him and taking his hands. “Just promise me you’ll be careful, okay?”

“I promise, Rapunzel.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EUGENE!!! IS AFRAID!!! OF LOSING!!! RAPUNZEL FOREVER!!! HE HAS FEELINGS AND IS NOT AFRAID OF A HAIR BEING OUT OF PLACE GODDAMN IT!!!
> 
> Oh, and Cass has come to her senses, so yaaaay. What could possibly go wrong?
> 
> (So, since in canon, the red rocks were caused by Cassandra's fear of destroying Rapunzel, I tried to like... Replicate, for lack of a better term, that with what the rocks were showing her. so... yeah)
> 
> I didn't write the talent show because it's perfect as it is and thus did not need a rewrite.
> 
> I will see all you in the next update. Until then, stay safe!


	10. Chapter X: The Hole Left Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eugene misses Cassandra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, man, have I been looking forward to this chapter. Too bad it was such a pain to write. I swear, the chapters I'm always excited about are always the hardest to write... Heck.
> 
> Anyway please enjoy

Rapunzel and Eugene sit curled up together in her reading nook. She sits forward, smiling with content as she flipped through one of her books while he braids her hair.

Eugene’s tongue sticks out as he concentrates on his task. Braiding was never something he had ever been great at, but he had picked up a thing for two on the road by watching either Cassandra or Varian busy themselves by braiding all seventy feet of Rapunzel’s hair. 

He frowns when the swordswoman crosses his mind. He knows she’s coming back to Corona. He knows she wants to meet with Varian alone once she gets back. 

But what he doesn’t know is what she wants, when she’ll get here, or why she wants to meet with the kid alone. He doesn’t like the idea of it, and he knows Rapunzel doesn’t like it either, but, with or without their permission, he knows the kid will go anyway because he’s stubborn and he wants to help bring her home. Not that he can blame him.

Though he’ll never admit it to anyone, he actually _misses_ Cassandra. He misses having her around, the way that they would poke fun at the others expense but at the end of the day, they could still count on each other when they needed help.

She had really become like a sister to him in the two years that they’ve known each other.

“Eugene?” Rapunzel turns around to look at him. “Are you okay?”

“Huh? Yeah, I’m fine.”

Rapunzel sets her book aside and moves in the nook so she’s practically in his lap where she leans against his chest. “What’s on your mind?”

Eugene, not wanting to upset her, wants to make something up to tell her, but he finds it hard to lie to her when she’s staring at him with those big green eyes of hers. He sighs.

“It’s this whole secret meeting thing between Cass and Varian,” he admits. “What if something goes wrong? What if he can’t reason with her, or what if…” he trails off into another deep sigh.

“What if she hurts him?” Rapunzel finishes for him, resting her head on his shoulder. “She won’t.”

“I know she won’t because she knows if she tries,” he smiles at his girlfriend and brushes the hair from her face. “She knows that the kid’s weird aunt and crazy uncle will be the least of her concerns.”

Rapunzel smiles at this and hums as she traces little patterns on his chest. Eugene rests his cheek on her head and frowns.

“What if she won’t come back?”

“She will,” Rapunzel says quietly and Eugene rubs her arm while she listens to his heartbeat and continues to draw patterns on his chest. “When she’s ready.”

Cassandra wanders down a forest path, away from any of the villages near the Coronan border. She isn’t sure where she was going, simply wandering as she waits for Owl to find her.

She pulls her hood up and pulls her cloak tighter around her as a wagon drives past her. Thankfully, the driver didn’t pay her any mind and kept their eyes on the road. Cassandra sighs.

It’s too open out here. Someone’s going to see her and run and tell the royal family she’s here. She can’t have that right now.

A large part of her is tempted to head straight to Old Corona, maybe hideout in Varian’s cellar, but she can't risk being seen there either. And she’s not even sure if it’s still standing. Last she saw the village, it was all but destroyed by the black rocks.

She has to find somewhere to hide. Somewhere secluded that only those who are looking for it know where to find it. A smile tugs at her lips.

She knows just the place.

Eugene sighs heavily, staring at his mug of ale and ducks as Shorty flies overhead having been thrown by one of the bar thugs. It was a regularly scheduled event at the Snuggly Duckling, every night at eight o’clock the bar thugs would engage in a game of ‘Shorty Tossing’ and the dwarf seemed to love it.

Lance had insisted they go out for some drinks, complaining that they hadn’t had any proper one on one time in a while, and he couldn’t refuse. He needed to get out of the castle, and the idea of Lance treating him to some nice ale did sound good to him. But he just couldn’t get his mind off the whole Cassandra thing.

“Something on your mind?” Lance asks over his mug.

“It’s just…” Eugene sighs through his nose. “I know she doesn’t show it, but Rapunzel’s miserable without Cass around,” he says. “And I feel like I’m useless because I’m not out there doing… _Something_ to try and help. Instead, I’m just… Sitting here and waiting.”

Lance frowns into his mug. “Rapunzel needs you now more than ever, so, maybe sitting and waiting is the only thing you can do.”

“Yeah, maybe...” Eugene frowns deeply when he catches himself thinking of his father and takes a chug of his drink. “Look,” he begins, slamming the mug down on the counter. “I know what Cassandra is feeling right now. She’s angry and I _get_ it. You live your entire life as one person, and then one day, you find out that everything’s been a lie and you’re actually someone else! Of course, you’d be angry!”

“And she has every right to be angry, but… She’s angry at the _wrong_ people.”

“Then who _should_ she be angry at?”

“The captain? That Eden lady he mentioned? Her parents? I don’t know, but…” he trails off again and hangs his head. “Maybe if she had known about her family and who they were from the start she would still… You know… Be here.”

Eugene runs a hand down his face and shakes his head. “I’m sorry, Lance, you wanted to have a guys night, and here I am complaining about _Cassandra_.” he snorts lightly. “Typical Cass, she doesn’t even have to be here to ruin a good time.”

“What are friends for?” Lance smiles and takes a swig of his ale. “Hey, barkeep, another round!”

Zhan Tiri follows the girl from a good distance. Close enough that she could keep an eye on her, but far enough the girl can’t sense her presence. To say she was utterly annoyed with her would be an understatement. Oh, how she doesn’t want to use her alternative plan. It’s always been a pain and an absolute last resort, something she’s only used twice before with little success. 

However… Perhaps there’s a chance to push her back on the path she had laid out for her… 

Currently, the girl was rummaging around in the ruins of a toppled tower, destroyed by the black rocks. She watches as she examines a piece of stone with what seemed to be sadness on her face. The demon quirks a brow and gets close enough to see what has her attention, smiling to herself when she sees a portrait of the Sundrop painted on the broken stone.

“What do you want now?” Cassandra asks tiredly. “I told you, I don’t need or want your help.”

“Yes, yes, I know,” Zhan Tiri huffs with annoyance. “I’m merely… Curious… as to why are you even _considering_ returning to the side of someone who's taken _so much_ from you.”

“Stop it,”

“You lost your parents because of her, your hand is _crippled_ because of her--”

“Stop it… Please,”

“She’s taken a power that is rightfully yours, she’s taken your _destiny_ , and as if all that wasn’t enough,” the demon has to keep herself from grinning. “She’s even taken your brother from you.”

“Ha!” Cassandra laughs. “Now I _know_ you’re just screwing with me, I don’t have a brother.”

“How can you be so sure?” Zhan Tiri questions and the girl’s grip on the stone tightens. “Tell me, what was stopping your mother from having another child after she left you? What was stopping her from running away and starting a new life? A new _family_?

“You’re lying. All you do is lie.”

“My dear, I am many things but a liar is not one of them. However, if you don’t believe me, why don’t you ask her yourself?”

Cassandra finally looks away from the painting in her hands to look at the demon with wide blue eyes. “A-Ask her… You mean…”

“Your mother, yes. I can take you to her if you’d like,” the ghost offers. “She never left Corona.”

Cassandra’s heart beats loudly in her chest, so loud that she can barely hear herself think. Her mother was still alive? Did she really start another family with someone else? With who? And why? If she was running from the loyalists, then having another family would just put them at risk too, unless she settled down somewhere no one would recognize her? Her mind raced, and she drops the stone, letting it crack and break on the hard ground.

She stares at the ghostly figure before her. She’s smiling at her with a kind, oddly gentle smile and she swallows the growing lump in her throat. 

“No tricks?”

“Of course not,”

“... Fine. Take me to her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sips flat warm cola even though it's like 3:30 am* I wish I had something witty to say... But uh... stay tuned for more exposition and what Eden's been up too for the past 20 years so yaaaay
> 
> I love you guys, thank's for all your continued support with this super self-indulgent au i've crafted. It means the world to me that you guys are enjoying it. I hope I can continue to impress.


	11. Chapter XI: Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra gets answers and Varian has a breakthrough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am... So sorry this took so long
> 
> There were just too many directions I wanted to go with this chapter and I wasn't satisfied with any of them and I finally found a version of this chapter I actually like so
> 
> uh
> 
> I don't know how to title these chapters anymore I'm sorry
> 
> enjoy

Cassandra follows the ghost far from the tower and deep into the woods. The crescent moon shines brightly in the sky, and a cold wind sends a shiver down her spine but she ignores it. The ghost doesn’t say a word, leaving Cassandra alone with her thoughts.

What was she even going to say to her? Would she recognize her? She was _four_ when she left, what if she doesn’t know who she is? What if she turns her away? What if she’s not how she remembers her to be? Or...

She comes to a stop. 

What if she’s just falling into another one of the demon's tricks?

“If you knew my mother was alive all this time, why didn’t you just tell me?” she demands. “Why did you let me think she was gone?”

Zhan Tiri comes to a halt and turns back to her. “You never asked,” 

Cassandra clenches her jaw and glares at her for a moment before she starts walking again, silence once again fills the air between them. The swordswoman stares ahead, mouth turning dry as she lets her mind wander again. 

If what the ghost says is true, then, not only is her mother still alive, but she has a brother she didn’t even know about. She’s not even sure how she feels about it. She’d be lying if she said a part of her wasn’t excited by the notion, she went through that phase of wanting a younger sibling when she was younger, and now it was a very real possibility. But… The other part of her was hurt and felt like her mother replaced her.

That she was cast aside for someone yet again.

Zhan Tiri suddenly motions for Cassandra to come to a stop and draws her attention to a small cottage, hidden behind tall trees and shrubs and easy to miss if you weren’t paying attention. Ivy grows along the outer walls of the cottage, making their way to the roof where smoke billows from a chimney.

She lets out a shaky breath as she stares at the cottage. She has to stop herself from looking at the demon for reassurance as she takes a hesitant step towards the door. Her arm feels like lead as she raises her hand to knock. Her knuckles brushed against the old wood as her arm falls back to her side.

“Well?” The demon chides. “What are you waiting for?”

“I… I don’t know,” she answers quietly.

Zhan Tiri clicks her tongue. “Cassandra, this is the woman who abandoned you, erased your memories and replaced you, don’t tell me you’re afraid of what she might think of you?”

“I’m not afraid of anything!” she snaps and, to prove her point, she knocks on the door. 

The sound cuts through the silence of the night, and she waits anxiously and suddenly finds herself wanting to turn and run. When nothing happens, she inwardly sighs with relief and turns away from the door, only to freeze when she hears the click of a lock.

She turns back to the cottage as the door opens just enough for the woman on the other side to peer out at her with tired blue eyes. Cassandra finds herself taking a step back and the woman on the other side of the door yawns into her hand.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” she asks, and Cassandra’s chest aches at the familiarity of her voice.

“I… You… I…” she stammers, unable to find the words to speak. The woman opens the door the rest of the way and they stare at each other with matching wide eyes.

Cassandra stares her up and down. Aside from some worry lines, crows feet, and a few streaks of grey in her hair, she looks relatively the same as she did when she had last seen her. Her skin was a little darker, a tan, no doubt, and her freckles were more prominent but, there was no doubt in her mind that she was standing face to face with her mother.

A small smile tugs at the woman's lips. “Look at you,” she says with a breathless laugh. “All grown up.”

“You know who I am?”

“Of course I do,” she says. “What kind of a mother wouldn’t know her own child?”

“I don’t know, maybe the kind of mother who erases her daughter's memories and abandons her?”

Eden hugs herself and frowns. “Cassandra, I--”

“You what?” the younger woman cut her off. “You were ‘protecting’ me? Protecting me from a danger _you_ put me in?”

“I’m sorry,”

“You’re sorry?” Cassandra’s eyes narrow. “You _knowingly_ put me in danger, erased my memories, abandoned me and replaced me with another kid, and you’re _sorry?_ ”

“Replaced?” Eden repeats, looking at Cassandra with disbelief. “Is that what you think? That I replaced you?”

“Why not? Everyone else in my life has pushed me aside for someone else, so why would you be any different?”

“Okay, yes, I did have another baby about four years after I left you behind,” Eden admits. “But I didn’t have him to replace you, I didn’t even _want_ to have another baby or start a new family because I knew that if I was ever found they would be put in danger.”

“Did you leave them too?”

“I did, and it was just as hard when I had to leave you.”

“Don’t act like you didn’t have a choice!” Cassandra snaps. “You _chose_ to leave me! You _chose_ to leave them!” The Moonstone flashes and black rocks grow between them. “ _No one_ made you do anything!”

Cassandra corners the woman, pinning her to the side of the house. She tightly grips the front of her blouse to keep her there with one hand and draws her sword with the other, blind to the wicked smile that splits across Zhan Tiri’s face behind her.

“You made your choice and you chose to run away and hide instead of facing the consequences!”

“Cassandra, I--” Eden’s voice catches in her throat when the tip of the blade is pointed at her throat.

“Save it,” she hisses. “I’m not here for your excuses, _Eden_. Now,” her eyes narrow dangerously. “I have questions and you are going to answer each and every one of them.”

The clicking of chalk on brick and the bubbling of something boiling is the only sound that Ruddiger can hear in his boy’s new lab, and their home for at least the next five weeks, or however long it takes him to translate the scroll. The raccoon watches as Varian draws various symbols on the wall, all the while mumbling quietly to himself. The scroll was tacked to the wall beside one of his drawings, and Demanitus’ Journal lies open on the desk with various notes and markers sticking out from its pages. 

Ruddiger chitters, tilting his head as Varian continues writing and drawing on the wall. As intelligent as he was, he couldn’t exactly read. But he wasn’t here to read, he was here to keep him company and to make sure he gets proper rest and nutrition. His tail twitches. 

Speaking of which…

Varian pays no mind as Ruddiger scampers off somewhere, instead he leans back to examine his work. He hums into his hand, ignoring the chalk that stains the fingers of his glove. He’s made some headway with translating both the scroll and the journal, having been able to fully translate a few pages of the journal, as well as the section of the scroll regarding the Sundrop, but it was still gibberish and needed to be deciphered.

Used to chewing on pencils, Varian instinctively goes to chew on the chalk in his hand, only to gag when it touches his tongue. “Oh, gross,” Without looking away from the wall, he sets the chalk down on the table and picks up a beaker he has filled with water to wash the taste away. Ruddiger chitters at him when he returns, pulling his attention away from his writings on the wall, and when he turns to him; he finds him holding out an apple to him. “Thanks, buddy.”

He takes the fruit and bites into it, turning back to the wall. “I think I’m starting to get it,” he says through a mouthful. 

He swallows as Ruddiger hops onto his shoulder, and he walks up to the scroll. He takes another bite of the apple, tracing a line of text with his finger as he reads. Varian squints, holding the apple between his teeth and grabbing his chalk again. He starts writing again, eyes darting between the scroll and what he had written on the wall moments ago. Ruddiger hops back down onto the table, watching curiously as Varian works, writing with one hand and holding the apple with the other. He starts talking to himself again, and the raccoon lets out a huff.

He’s going to be at this for the rest of the night.

"Where have you been for the past twenty years?"

"I've been all over Corona," Eden answers, doing her best to remain still with the tip of the blade pressed threateningly to her neck. "I moved around from village to village. I never stayed in one place for too long, three years at the most."

"And you're telling me no one thought that was suspicious?"

"No, they didn't because no one recognized me," Cassandra's eyes narrow and Eden let out a shaky breath. "I used an old Saporian trick to change my appearance each time I moved. It was a trick spies would use during the war with Corona to gather information or sneak beyond enemy lines."

"You changed your--" The Moonstone flashes and black rocks burst from the ground and run through the cottage. "If you could change your appearance, you could have taken me with you!"

"Cassandra, I... Okay, maybe I could have, but I didn't want that kind of life for you! I thought it was better to--"

"Better to what? To leave me with a stranger?"

"I thought it was better to leave you with someone I knew could take care of you! I didn't want to leave you, Cassandra, really I didn't, and if I knew even for a moment that it was safe to take you with me I would have!" Tears sting her eyes as the tip of the blade is pressed harder against her neck. "I would have taken you with me, and I wouldn't have left Quirin and the baby, and we could have been a proper family."

"Quirin?" Cassandra's grip on her falters.

"He would have loved you, I'm sure of it," Eden says, inwardly sighing with relief when Cassandra pulls the sword away. "He's ten times the man your father was, Cassandra, kind, gentle, yes he may have been a bit closed off with his emotions but... He's a good man."

Cassandra lets her go and takes a few steps back. "You mean..." She glances at the demon who simply smiles at her and turns back to the woman in front of her. She puts a hand in her hair and she laughs. "Of course _he's_ my brother, who else would it be?"

"Cassandra--"

"Quiet," she snaps at the woman. "Now if you excuse me," she turns away from her and walks away. "I'm going to go pay my little brother a visit."

Ruddiger awakes when Varian yawns loudly and leans back against the table behind him. He looks over his work with a small, tired smile on his face and Ruddiger crawls into his lap. 

“I did it,” he says through another yawn.

It took him all night, but he’s finally translated a section of the scroll. Granted, it only revealed the Healing Incantation, something they already knew about, but, progress is progress.

He closes his eyes and lazily strokes Ruddiger’s fur, humming in content. Now he just needs to translate the rest of it and then he can focus solely on translating Demanitus’ Journal.

Ruddiger stretches on his lap, stretching out his claws and yawning much like a cat before scratching behind his ear. The raccoon chitters, and hops down onto the floor, trotting over to the stairs where he stops and looks back at his boy expectantly.

“You want me to take a break?” Varian asks and the raccoon nods. “I guess some fresh air wouldn’t kill me.”

A nervous chuckle escapes Varian when he and Ruddiger make it outside. It was already dusk, the sun had vanished beyond the horizon, leaving the sky a dull grey-blue as the moon and stars make themselves seen. 

“Guess I worked longer than I thought…” he mumbles to himself and stretches his arms over his head.

“You really need to learn how to pace yourself, kid,” Varian jumps at the sudden voice and reaches for the vials of chemicals he has on his belt. He falters when the owner of said voice steps out from behind a tree. “Relax, it’s just me.”

He stares at her in confusion, unable to recognize her at first glance, but after a moment his face lights up. “Cass?”

“What, don’t you recognize me?” Cassandra asks with an amused smile. She shouldn’t be surprised, the last time she saw him he was out cold. 

She stares at him for a few seconds before looking away as butterflies flutter around in her stomach.

She should have seen it sooner. The similarities between them. Maybe her subconscious did notice it and that's why she became attached to him during their journey out of Corona. Maybe that's why the idea of that damned demon tormenting him bothers her so much.

The wind is suddenly knocked out of her and she stumbles when the boy surprises her by running up to her and _hugging_ her, of all things. She hesitates for a moment but if what Eden had told her is true then… She carefully circles her arms around him and returns the hug. She’s not much of a hugger, but it’s been so _long_ since she’s had any physical contact, pleasant physical contact, that is, and it’s nice. 

But it ends far too quickly for her liking when he suddenly pushes her away with an angry look in his eye.

“You…! You couldn’t just…? Why would you--” He sputters, unable to figure out what he wants to say to her. His face turns red with frustration and he lets out a groan. “Do you realize what you’re doing, Cassandra?" he finally demands. "You’re putting the world at risk, and for what? What reason could you possibly have to throw everything you’ve worked for away like this?”

“I’m following my destiny,” she answers.

“And what, pray tell, _is_ your destiny?” he challenges. “Is it to use the Moonstone to destroy Corona and bring the Sundrop to her knees? Because if it is then I guess we have the same destiny.”

“Yeah?” She grins at him and takes a step forward, causing him to take a step back. “Then maybe it _is_ our destiny to destroy Corona together.”

“I--” Varian’s voice catches in his throat when Cassandra takes his hands and links their fingers together.

“Come with me, Varian,” she smiles at him. A bright, almost hopeful smile. “Just think of what we could do together. You know what kind of a king Frederic is. You’ve seen first hand how many people have suffered because of him, how many people continue to suffer while he couldn’t care less if people like us lived or died.”

“But together with my… _Our_ power, we could change that! We’d be unstoppable!”

“I…” Varian looks at her with a ghost of a smile. “You know, if you had asked me after the storm to come with you and destroy Corona, I would have jumped at it, no questions asked. But…” he pulls away from her and rubs his arm. “Things are different now, and I don’t want to hurt anyone anymore. I don’t want to hurt Rapunzel anymore,”

Cassandra clenches her jaw when he mentions the princess, she stays silent and lets him continue.

“So, I can’t… I _won’t_ help you, Cassandra. Not with this.”

“Fine,” she turns away from him and walks away. “I’ll see you around then.”

“Cass, wait!” he flinches when she stops suddenly and glares at him from over her shoulder. “Y-You don’t have to do this… We can find another way to change things in Corona… You can come home and--”

“And _what?_ ” she turns to face him fully again. “I can come back and go right back to living in Rapunzel’s shadow? Go back to being nothing more than a handmaiden? To a life I never had any say in? A life I _don’t_ even want?”

“Then what _do_ you want?”

Cassandra doesn’t answer him. She _can’t_ answer him. She turns away from him again. “I’ll see you later, Varian.”

Varian wants to reach out again and stop her, but he doesn’t. Instead, he watches her walk away from him until she’s out of sight. He looks down at Ruddiger when he chitters at him and scoops him up into his arms. He looks back in the direction Cassandra had gone and sighs.

“Come on, Ruddiger, let’s get back to work.”

Cassandra makes her way back to the grotto she's chosen as her hiding place. Anger bubbles up in her chest only to be chased away by sadness, and then to quickly rise again. She wasn't angry when her mo-- That _woman_ told her that Varian was, in fact, her younger brother. It did come as a shock, but it was one she quickly got over. Part of her already considered the kid as an annoying little brother anyway. But, _she_ has him wrapped around her finger.

“Do you see now, Cassandra?” Zhan Tiri questions as she follows her back to the grotto. “Even your own brother has chosen Rapunzel over you, just like everyone else.”

Cassandra tightly balls her hands into fists, focusing on the path ahead as the demon continues. “It’s just as I told you, Rapunzel has done, and will do nothing but take from you.”

“Yeah,” Cassandra agrees as she passes through the vines hiding the alcove leading into the grotto. She stares at the remains of the tower. “But now, it’s my turn to take everything from her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eden Espinosa, Cassandra herself, suggested Quirin as Cassandra's biological father in canon during a podcast, so the idea of Cass and Varian being half-siblings isn't all that farfetched. I just... Changed things around, same mother different father.
> 
> Let me have this.
> 
> Kudos to literally every single one of you that figured it out, you're all amazing and ilu uwu
> 
> I'll see you guys in the next update which, god willing, won't take me a thousand years.


	12. Chapter XII:

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel learns something new about Eugene
> 
> Quirin trains his two new farm hands
> 
> The captain takes a drink
> 
> And Eugene's feelings about his dad are complicated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to... start setting things up *finger guns*
> 
> I'm sorry for taking so long again... Writer's block is a bitch sometimes.
> 
> uh... no title for this chapter because it's 4 am and I'm no good at titles
> 
> HEY, SO, because I am dumb, I forgot some key plot elements from season one when I wrote the prologue to Beyond Corona's Walls (*coughthegraphtyccough*) and I now have ideas for these plot elements and will probably be writing them in the future and posting them to this series, so... yeah... Consider the prologue retconned and if I make any references to any of the changes, I'll say so in the notes at the beginning.

It’s a picturesque morning in Corona, the sun is shining through the clouds, the birds are singing, the market is slowly filling up with townspeople doing their daily shopping, the flowers are in bloom, and there’s a warm breeze coming in from the sea.

Rapunzel whistles a nameless tune as she makes her way through town. It was still early in the morning, so not many people were out and about just yet, but she was sure to greet everyone who was. She has a little extra pep in her step this morning as it’s one of her rare days off, giving her the entire day to do whatever she desired. 

It’s been just about two months since the incident with the Red Rocks, nearly six months since they had returned from the Dark Kingdom, and things in Corona had gone back to normal. While she still misses the hustle and bustle of life on the road, she has come to appreciate the more peaceful days Corona brings. 

She’s finally starting to feel at home.

The princess tilts her head back and smiles with content as the morning sun warms her face, folding her arms behind her back. She opens her eyes and straightens her posture as the scent of fresh baked goods meets her nose, causing her mouth to water. 

She follows the scent to Attila’s bakery just as he exits the store with a tray of freshly baked croissants. The thug perks up when he sees her through his helmet.

“Good morning, Princess!” He greets her. “Care for a free sample? It’s a new recipe.”

Rapunzel beams. “Yes please,” she takes one of the croissants, still warm but not hot enough that she can’t hold it, and take a bite. Her eyes light up and she hums. “Maple and… Hazelnut?”

“Yes, do you like it?”

“I love it!” Rapunzel breaks off a piece and feeds it to Pascal, the chameleon giving a thumbs up. “They’re going to sell faster than you can make them.”

The princess is positive that beneath his helmet, Attila is beaming with pride. She steps aside as more people gather around for the free samples and she excuses herself to resume her stroll through the city.

She begins whistling again, weaving herself through the growing crowd as the townspeople begin their daily routines. She passes the smithy, only to take a few steps backward when she sees a familiar figure in the shop. She smiles and approaches them.

“King Edmund?” she calls, and the man looks away from the ornate dagger he was examining.

“Ah!” he smiles brightly at her. “Good morning, princess,” he bows and she curtsies. “Are you by chance searching for a gift for Horace…” he clears his throat. “I mean Eugene’s birthday as well?”

“Eugene’s… Birthday?” her eyes light up. “It’s his birthday? His _actual_ birthday?” she asks, bouncing excitedly on her heels.

Edmund seems confused for a moment but quickly recovers. “Ah yes, he wouldn’t know his real birthday, would he?” he clears his throat again. “But yes, Eugene’s real birthday is at the end of the month, and I am unsure what to get him for a gift.” The king looks at her, hopeful. “You know him better than I, perhaps you could point me in a direction? Or perhaps how we could celebrate?”

Rapunzel hums and thinks back to the day she had chosen to celebrate Eugene’s birthday, and how it did not at all go as she originally planned for it too. Being chased down and nearly killed by a sentient statue over a coin isn’t exactly the ideal celebration.

“We could throw him a party,” she suggests after a moment. “Oh! A _surprise_ party!” Rapunzel takes Edmund’s hand. “It’ll be perfect! He’ll never see it coming!”

“Well, I certainly can’t see any reasons to disagree with her,” Edmund says to himself as he thinks aloud and Rapunzel smiles. “And she is excited by the mere concept, so…” he clears his throat and smiles at her. “I couldn’t agree with you more, princess.”

“Great,” Rapunzel pulls him along with her. “Come on, we have a party to plan!”

Meanwhile, in Old Corona, Keira and Catalina can be found hard at work in one of the fields. Catalina plants the seeds the way she was instructed to, and she carefully covers them with the dirt her sister had loosened.

“How did we get roped into this?” Keira whines as she pulls a garden hoe through the dirt.

“We need money,” Catalina reminds her, gently pushing Rider’s head away when she goes to inspect the seed pouch. “And this was the only job we could get without having to go all the way to the capital. Besides, Quirin’s nice, we get free lunches, _and_ it’s loads better than what we did for the Baron.”

Keira groans loudly. “I guess, but the only reason we even agreed to take this stupid job was so you could spend more time with your boyfriend, and he’s not even here!”

Catalina freezes, her face turning just as red as her hair. “H-He’s not my boyfriend! I don’t even like him like that!”

“Oh really? You could have fooled me the way you looked at him when we first met him," Keira grins. "You called him _dreamy,_ and--"

Quirin’s head snaps up when he hears a shriek from across the field, and when he looks up he finds them wrestling in the dirt. The scene is all too familiar to him and it takes him back to when he wasn’t much older than his son is now, standing on the sidelines as Hector and Adira wrestle with one another over something as trivial as to who cooks dinner…. Only to tire themselves out and leave him to do the cooking.

He chuckles lightly, shakes his head, and turns back to the field. 

He grunts as he swings the gardening hoe down, wincing in pain as his shoulder pops from the movement. He rolls his shoulder, earning a few more pops in protest. The year he’s spent in the amber has taken its toll on him and he still hasn’t fully recovered, so he’s out of shape. That, or he’s just getting old, and if he’s honest, he’d much rather blame these new aches and pains on the former.

These new aches and pains make him grateful that the girls are willing to lend him a hand, and he used the opportunity to make sure they were getting along okay. The idea of two little girls living alone in the woods just doesn’t sit right with him, regardless if one is a werewolf. 

But usually, he’d have Varian help him work the fields, and while he wouldn’t give him too much of a hard time about it, he did complain the entire time under his breath; going on about how he was a man of science and how he was going to make a machine to do the plowing for them. But now, he had isolated himself away in the Demantius Chamber for a project. 

Conveniently right before it was time to get to work on the fields for the autumn crops. He has to wonder if Varian, clever as he is, didn’t time it purposely so he could get out of it.

Quirin chuckles lightly and shakes his head. Of course, he did. It was too perfectly timed for it to be a coincidence. But, with everything else Varian has going on, he supposes he can let it slide this year.

But next year he’s not getting out of it.

Eugene raises an eyebrow when he sees Rapunzel and Edmund happily chatting away, walking arm in arm through the castle gardens. Something twists in his stomach at the sight of it… Jealousy maybe? Jealous of what? The fact his girlfriend has an easier time connecting with his father than he does? It’s not like he hasn’t tried, because he has. It’s just… It’s still hard for him. 

He still hasn’t fully come to terms with it all.

“Eugene?” a gentle voice pulls him from his thoughts, and he turns around to face the queen. “Is everything alright?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m fine, I’m great. No need to worry.” He answers quickly, with a grin, though she’s completely unconvinced.

Looking behind him, she spots her daughter and the Dark King. She looks back at him. “Did you know it took me three weeks to stop calling Rapunzel _Genevieve_ when she first returned to Corona?”

Eugene blinks with surprise at this new information. Rapunzel’s not her given name. That in itself isn’t the surprising part. The surprising part is that her given name is _Genevieve._ Princess _Genevieve_ Der Sonne. It doesn’t have quite the same ring as Rapunzel Der Sonne. But what’s worse is that they were almost Princess Genevieve and Prince _Horace._

“And it took her just as long to call me ‘mom’ instead of ‘your majesty’,” Arianna continues, pulling him from his thoughts again. She links their arms together and they walk. “Believe it or not, I know what you’re going through, Eugene. Connecting with Rapunzel was hard in the beginning… And it still is at times.”

“No offense, your majesty, but… It’s a little different for me and Edmund,” Eugene says with a frown. “I mean… He abandoned me! But, I understand why he did, but I… I don’t know. He said he had his ravens watching me, so he _knew_ what my life was like, he knew I had to lie, cheat, and steal to eat, and he didn’t do _anything_ to help me! He never sent a letter, he never sent a single coin, nothing. Zip. Nada.”

“And- And! Why couldn’t he have left me with someone he knew instead of having me dropped off in some orphanage in Vardaros? Why couldn’t he have left me with my mother's midwife, or- or my nanny or whoever took care of me up until then, or, I don’t know, the man he considers to be his _brother?_ ”

Eugene pulls the queen to a stop and wipes at his eyes with the heel of his palm. “I’m sorry,”

“Eugene,” Arianna reaches with both her hands to gently cup his face and wipes away the tears on his cheeks, and he feels flush with embarrassment. “There’s nothing for you to apologize for. You have every right to be angry with your father. In trying to protect you, he hurt you, and you’re not obligated to forgive him or to have a relationship with him.”

“But… I want too,” Eugene says quietly. “I _want_ to forgive him, and I _want_ to have a relationship with him, but… I don’t think I’m ready yet.”

“And that’s okay too,” Arianna assures him with a kind, motherly smile. She pulls her hands away from his face. “Just give yourself time, Eugene.”

Eugene smiles at her and nods. “Thank you, your majesty.”

“You’re welcome, Eugene. Now, can you do me one little favor?”

“Of course, anything you need.”

“Call me Arianna,”

Eugene blinks in surprise again and he smiles again. “Right, of course, your maj-- Arianna.”

“Please?” Keira pleads with Quirin as she and Catalina follow him back to his house for lunch.

“No,”

“ _Please?_ ” Catalina mimics her sister, putting more emphasis on the word and taking hold of his hand. “Pretty please with sugar on top?”

“ _No,_ ” Quirin says again, firmer this time and he can see the two pout from the corner of his eye.

“But, _Quirin!_ ” Keira whines and he turns to her. Catalina lets go of his hand and stands beside her sister, looking up at him with puppy dog eyes. “We’re two defenseless little girls, living all alone in the woods! Don’t you think we ought to know how to defend ourselves?”

Quirin raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms. “And just how have you two been defending ourselves all this time on your own?”

The two look at each other and he smiles with amusement. “Don’t you think we ought to know how to defend ourselves with _swords?_ ” Keira reiterates.

The man pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs heavily as both girls lay it on thick with the puppy dog eyes. He knows good and well that these two are more than capable of defending themselves, but… Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to teach them the basics? He sighs again, this time in defeat.

“Okay fine,” he relents, and the girls high five each other. “But I’m only going to teach you the basics, understand?” the two nod eagerly.

“When can we start?”

“We can start after we’ve finished the field,” he answers. “But right now, it’s time for lunch, so come on.”

The captain of Corona’s royal guard continued his pursuit of his daughter, following her for months until he lost track of her upon returning to Corona. He searched for her high and low, but it was as if she had vanished so without any other option he headed back to Corona.

A sudden downpour forced him to take refuge in the Snuggly Duckling, sitting beside the drunken dwarf and listening to him ramble on about who knows what while drinking a pint of ale as he waits out the storm while his mind reminds him over and over again of one thing.

He failed. He failed to keep his promise to a dear friend. He failed his daughter in so many ways. He failed to bring her home. He failed her and now she’s gone further down this path she’s chosen.

He still doesn’t know what she’s planning to do now that she’s returned to Corona. Despite his best efforts to not think of it, his mind keeps wandering to the possibility of her attacking the kingdom. The idea had been in the back of his mind ever since he was told of her betrayal, but he didn’t realize how much he dreaded the thought of Corona in ruins, fires raging and the people he had sworn to protect chased from their homes or worse, all at his daughter's hand, until the night the black rocks that dotted the fields had turned an eerie red.

If she were to attack, he would have to fight her. He wouldn’t have a choice, he’d have to protect his country. But… He doesn’t know if he can bring himself to face her.

How hypocritical of him. He’s imprisoned children, torn families apart, sent petty thieves off to their death, locked away people he at one time considered friends for less without hesitation, and yet he doesn’t know if he can bring himself to fight his daughter should she attack.

Oh, what would he give for a second chance to do right by Cassandra? He made so many mistakes raising her; he was distant, putting his duty as a guard first and foremost and often left her in the care of the maids, and when he was promoted to the captain he had only gotten worse about it. He was strict with her, in the same way, his father had been with him as a boy. But what’s worse of all is he lied to her for her entire life.

He’d be lying if he said that if he were given the chance to start over, raise her again, raise her _right_ , that he wouldn’t take it. Even though he knows how utterly selfish of him it is.

The captain shakes the idea from his head. No, he doesn’t deserve that chance. He’s not going to give up on her. He’s going to bring his daughter home. No matter what. 

He downs the rest of his ale, tosses a coin onto the counter, and puts his helmet on. He dips his head to the man behind the bar and leaves.

Quirin watches as the rain pours over the village, listening as the rain falls against the window and watching as the raindrops roll off the glass one after another. Rain this hard was going to flood the fields, there’s no doubt in his mind, and he could already see the river rising. He hopes that there won’t be too much of a problem, many houses were still incomplete and a flood would set back their completion even further.

He sighs and pulls away from the window, stepping into the living room and finding his two young farm hands sitting by the fireplace with the dog, entertaining themselves with some playing cards as they wait for the storm to let up enough for them to return to their treehouse. 

Quirin looks out the window again and hums. “It doesn’t look like it’s going to die down any time soon,” he says. “So, why don’t you two stay the night?”

Keira and Catalina look away from their game and look up at him. “Well…” Keira looks back at her sister. “I don’t feel like walking home in the rain, do you?”

“No, not really,” Catalina agrees. She scowls suddenly and adds, “Besides, ever since I became the wolf I always smell like a wet dog when I get wet.”

Quirin chuckles. “Then it’s settled. You two can sleep in Varian’s room. Just… Don’t touch any of his gadgets, there’s no telling what might explode.”

At some point, Quirin must have fallen asleep, because he’s startled awake by a knock at his door and when he glances at the nearby window he finds that it’s gotten much darker outside and the storm has let up some.

He stands from the chair he was sitting in with a quiet grunt and smiles when he sees that the two sisters had fallen asleep in front of the fire. He takes the blanket hanging off the back of his chair and carefully drapes it over them. 

He quietly makes his way to the door and when he opens it, he’s met with a familiar sight; a woman staring up at him with light blue eyes filled with uncertainty, long wet dark hair that clings to her face, wearing a cloak over a simple white underdress beneath a pale green overdress, all of which had been completely soaked through.

He stares at her, his heart dropping into his stomach as he’s taken back twenty years. To the night this very same woman had come to him in the middle of the night seeking shelter from a storm just like this. Back then he had taken her in without a second thought then, given her warm clothes, something to eat, and a place to sleep while they waited out the storm, but now… 

Now a large part of him wants to tell her to leave and close the door. He wants to be angry, but the longer he stares the harder it becomes, the more his heart swells, and the more he sees _him_ in her features. 

So, he steps aside and silently invites her in, closing the door behind her when she steps inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Catalina had a crush on Varian for like, three days after the incident with Vigor and Keira is never going to let her live it down.
> 
> And you can't tell me Gothel was stupid enough to not only tell Rapunzel her actual birthday, which is what drew her to the lanterns in the first place, but to also use her given name? I refuse to believe that Rapunzel is her given name. It's her name but it's not the name Arianna and Frederic gave her.
> 
> (Also Dark Disney give me the Eugene and Arianna interactions)
> 
> I'll see you guys next time (and i am 50% sure it won't take me so long next time because I actually have a good chunk of the next chapter already done as it was part of this one)


	13. Chapter XIII: Everything Stays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Discussions are had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... This took longer than I expected it too. and I have mixed feelings about this chapter... I'm pleased with it but I'm also not.
> 
> writing oc's is harder than it should be >:/
> 
> Uh...
> 
> The title is brought to you by Me, listening to a piano cover of Everything Stays from Adventure Time because it was the song I listened to most when writing most of this chapter.

Eden finds herself in a familiar position; soaked to the bone by a sudden downpour and on the doorstep of one of the kindest men she’s ever met. She hadn’t intended to come here, but… Here she is.

They stare at one another and she can see his conflicting emotions flash in his eyes. She rubs her neck, still able to feel the sting of Cassandra’s blade against her skin. She shouldn’t have come here. After what she did, she doesn’t have the right to be here like this. Or at all. She should just apologize, say she has the wrong house and leave. 

She goes to do just that but he steps aside and silently invites her inside.

Quirin watches as the woman dries her hair while warming herself by the fireplace. The girls had woken up briefly, and he quickly ushered them off to bed before they could ask any questions, so now the two of them were alone. They have yet to speak to one another, and whenever they would meet eyes, one of them would quickly look away.

Twenty years ago they were more talkative. They made awkward small talk, dodged questions about personal matters, and only told each other their names, but they had spoken to each other nonetheless. But they were strangers then, so it was easier. They didn’t have the history they share now.

They didn’t have a son then.

He silently excuses himself from the room, returning a few minutes later with a change of clothes for her. Clothes she had left behind. Clothes he never could bring himself to get rid of. He says nothing as he hands them to her before making his way to the kitchen.

Quirin sets himself to work on making something warm to drink, staring silently at the counter for a few moments before looking away to glance at her from over his shoulder when she stands in the doorway. They lock eyes for the briefest of moments before she looks away with shame and he turns away from her again.

“Where have you been?” he asks, breaking the silence between them. “I thought you were…” he trails off, not wanting to say it. “I looked for you for months.” he takes her by her arms. “ _Where have you been?_ ”

“I…” she keeps her eyes on the floor, refusing to look him in the eye. “I’m so sorry…”

Quirin releases her and motions for her to sit. He places a mug of tea on the table in front of her before he takes the chair across from her. He runs a hand down his face, covering his mouth and he looks at her again, his mind wandering to the last time they sat across the table like this. It was a few days after the storm, and he knew she didn’t have anywhere else to go, so he had invited her to stay while she figured something out.

“Amelia--” his voice catches in his throat as he opens and closes his mouth, though no words come out.

A ghost of a smile creeps its way onto her face. She hasn’t heard that name in years. It was the name he gave her when she had agreed to stay with him. But hearing it now, in his pained and exhausted voice made her heartache.

“E-Eden’s fine, she tells him and he nods. Eden finally looks at him, locking eyes with him again, and this time he’s the one to look away. He’s aged, of course, he has. His hair has started to turn grey, his hairline is receding, and frown lines run across his forehead, made prominent by years of working in the sun. His eyes, while tired, were still kind and made her feel a warmth she hasn’t felt in ages.

“Quirin, I…” she struggles to find the right words. She puts a hand to her face and chews her lip. She doesn’t know at all what to say. She doesn’t know what she can say to him. “Please… Let me explain.” She owes him that much at the very least.

“Go on,”

Eden takes a shaky breath. “Twenty years ago, I was ordered--” she quickly clears her throat. “I was requested… by the king to make an elixir for his wife when she had fallen ill. None of the Coronan physicians could do anything and he was desperate to save her and their unborn child.”

Quirin’s expression darkens as his mind drifts back to the night he had pleaded with Fredric not to take that damn flower. How the fool of a king refused to heed his warnings and damned not only his people but the entire world in his attempt to save his family.

“So I did,” Eden continues. “I made the elixir and it was enough to keep her alive until the flower was found. But in doing so I sentenced myself to death.” Her eyes focus on the mug as she tightly grips her skirts. “I never told you this but, I was married before, and the man I was married too was involved with an extremist group hellbent on destroying Corona. I knew that if the queen died, Corona would be at its weakest and they would take the opportunity to strike and overthrow the king, turning Corona into a warzone in the process.”

“I couldn’t let my daughter grow up in a world like that, which is why I agreed to make the elixir,” she sighs. “But somehow the bastard found out, and...”

Quirin’s mouth turns dry as she trails off. He remembers seeing the bruises that night, and he had always assumed she was running from a husband. But he never asked or brought it up. He knew she had her secrets and he respected that. After all, he had his secrets.

“He made it clear that if I so much as spoke out of turn that he would tell the others that I was a traitor and if I tried to leave he would hunt me down and I… I did something awful, Quirin,”

“You killed him?”

“Kill-- N-No!” She shakes her head. “N-No, I…” she trails off again, reaching up to play with her hair. “Although that probably would have been easier…” she mumbles under her breath. Shaking her head again she looks back up at him. “No, I didn’t kill him.”

“I-Instead, I… I let him take the blame for what I did,” she hugs herself tight, digging her fingers into her arms. “I lent the woman who would kidnap the princess our horse she, and she used him in her getaway, o-of course I didn’t know she was going to use him for that, if I had I _never_ would have…” she struggles with her words, nervously picking at her fingers. “B-But I owed her a favor, and I…”

Looking at the table, Eden lets out a bitter laugh. “The funny thing is, it was all for nothing. Word had already gotten to the others about my services to the crown and they were going to kill me and my daughter.”

“So I left her with a friend, and I ran away, and… Well… You know the rest.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“I don’t know,” she admits. “I should have, but… I think I was scared. Of what you might think… But I suppose it doesn’t matter anymore.” Her expression hardens and she sighs. “Listen, I know that nothing I say can ever make up for what I’ve done. I’m not here to ask for forgiveness or anything like that, and I’m not here to start over again.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Honestly? I don’t know,” she answers. “But I’m tired of running. I’m tired of hiding. I’m…” she puts her face in her hands again. “I’m just so _tired,_ Quirin.”

Any anger he felt fades away and his expression softens at the mere sound of her voice; small, broken, and on the verge of tears. He sees her shoulders tremble and he swallows hard.

"Why did you leave?" he asks, voice low. "Please, I have to know."

"I left for the same reason I left my daughter," she answers. "I felt that if I stayed in one place for too long, someone would find me and they would kill you and the baby, and I thought that by leaving I was protecting you. But... All I did was hurt you in the end, and I am _so_ sorry."

Quirin goes to speak but finds himself at a loss for words. So instead he looks at the table, counting each knick and each scratch in the wood it’s collected over the years. They're silent for what feels like hours, and by the time Quirin steals another glance at her, the tea has long since gone cold. Something else is on her mind, he can tell by the way her eyebrows were pinched together.

“Something else is bothering you,” he says gently, and she averts her gaze. “Please, tell me what’s wrong.”

“I- Cassandra- My daughter she… Found me a few nights ago and… She’s so _angry,_ and it’s all my fault. Not that I blame her, I mean, I _did_ use magic on her to erase her memories before leaving her with Roy, but she got her memories back somehow and I can’t figure out how, and- and she knows about you and Varian, and she feels like I replaced her, and I’m worried she’s going to take her anger out on him, and--”

“Hey, hey,” Quirin reaches across the table, putting a hand on hers to calm her. “Breath,” he gives her hand a comforting squeeze. “Varian’s a tough kid. And right now, he’s off working on something and he’s isolated himself somewhere only he, the princess, and I know the whereabouts of. He’s fine, I promise.”

“Oh, I… Okay, that’s good.”

Quirin furrows his brow when she then digs into her satchel and pulls out an old and worn envelope. Eden stares at it for a moment before sliding it across the table to him. He takes it and stares at his son's name written across the front of it in faded ink.

“Will you give this to him for me?” she asks quietly. She begins fiddling with her hair. “I wrote it ages ago but I could never bring myself to actually send it out…”

He nods in silent agreement and stows the letter away in his vest, standing when Eden rises from her chair and smooths out her skirts. “I, uh, I should be going,” she says. “I… I’m sorry. For everything.”

He catches her by the wrist before she can leave the kitchen and they stare at each other again. He’s the first to look away and he clears his throat. “Why don’t you stay here until the storm passes? I wouldn’t want you to get sick out there.”

Eden hesitates, a warmth spreading through her as the hand clasped around her wrist moves down to hold her hand. “I have to go to the capital. I have to tell Roy about all of this.”

“Which you can’t do if you catch your death by wandering around in the rain,” he argues with her. 

She goes to argue back, but her voice dies in her throat when she can’t see a shred of anger on his face. She looks away from him, mind reeling. Why isn’t he angry? After everything she put him through, doesn’t she deserve it? He _should_ be angry! He has every right to be angry with her, so why isn’t he?

She blinks when Quirin brushes his hand against her cheek and she realizes she had started crying. She looks up at him with wide eyes and he realizes what he’s done, and quickly drops his hand to his side.

He clears his throat and suddenly things are awkward as they were twenty years ago. He lets go of her hand. “You can take my bed, I’ll sleep downstairs,” he says, looking at the ceiling to avoid making eye contact again.

“N-No, I really--” she stops herself. There’s no point in arguing with him about it. She sighs in defeat and nods, and tightly grips the strap of her satchel as he leads her upstairs and to the bedroom. They silently bid each other goodnight and he turns to go back downstairs.

“Quirin?” she calls to him, and he pauses at the top of the stairs. Wringing her hands around the strap, she asks, “What’s he like?”

A proud smile spreads across Quirin’s face. “He’s wonderful.”

Cassandra has no idea why she’s come back to the little cottage in the woods. Sure, she could say she was seeking refuge from the rain, but the cave leading to the grotto could have given her shelter just fine. Maybe she wanted more answers. Maybe she wanted to yell at her again for leaving her. 

Maybe she just wanted to see her again.

She knocks and waits for a minute before knocking again. There’s no answer and she can’t hear any movement inside, nor can she see any light shining through the cracks in the door. So, she takes the doorknob and twists it, surprised to find the door unlocked. She steps inside, the glow of the Moonstone offering her some light, and she feels around for a candle or lantern to give her more light. Her eyes fall on the fireplace.

That’ll do.

With the light from the fireplace, Cassandra has enough light to fully examine her surroundings. The cottage is only one room, with nothing more than a table and a chair, and a ladder leading up to the loft where she assumes the bed is. Dried herbs hang from the ceiling, potion bottles line the shelves on the wall, and one of the shelves holds a few books with one missing from the middle.

One set of shelves was broken in half, having been run through by a black rock. Potted plants and potion bottles lie broken with glass and dirt scattered about the floor.

Cassandra ducks under the rock as she ventures further into the cottage, finding one of the cupboards open with nothing more than an empty wooden box. She frowns.

The cottage was deserted. It looks like her mother had hastily packed her things and left not long after she found her.

“It would appear she’s run away from you again,” Zhan Tiri’s voice cuts through the silence in the cottage, voicing the young woman’s suspicions.

Cassandra ignores her and the pain in her chest, grabbing a blanket and ducks back under the rock again before sitting down by the fireplace. She looks at the armor made from the rocks covering her hands, opening and closing her hands and flexing her fingers.

She focuses intently on her injured hand. It doesn’t hurt as much as it had before. She could hardly feel it beneath her armor, and she’s not sure if she should be concerned or if she should count it as a blessing.

“You know,” she begins, placing one hand over the Moonstone. “I thought that by taking the Moonstone my destiny would become clear. But now…” she trails off and pulls her knees to her chest. “Now I’m not even sure if I have a destiny.”

“ _Of course,_ you do,” Zhan Tiri scolds her. “It is to destroy Rapunzel.”

Cassandra flinches and pulls the blanket tighter around her as the visions shown to her by the red rocks come flooding back to her. “I… No. There has to be another way.”

“You said you want to take everything from her just as she’s taken everything from you, did you not?”

“Yes, but--” her voice catches in her throat, the demon hovering before her and looking down on her.

“To do so you _must_ wield the powers of the Sundrop and Moonstone, and the only way you can do that is to destroy Rapunzel.” Zhan Tiri’s eyes narrow ever so slightly at the hesitant look in the young woman’s eye. She’s doubting herself again and she can’t have that. 

She gently takes Cassandra by the chin and tilts her head up to make her look at her. “She’s already taken your family from you, if you do not destroy her first, she will destroy you and take the only thing you have left.”

Cassandra’s fingers brush against the Moonstone and she swallows hard. She turns away from the demon when she releases her and she hugs her knees with a sigh.

“I know.”

It’s early in the morning and Quirin was finally starting to fall asleep when he’s awoken by the whining of the dog at the door. Giving up on the idea of getting any sleep, he gets up, ignoring the way his back pops as he stretches. He walks over to the door and opens it, letting the dog outside. He stands there and stares at the village. It was still raining, and based on how dark the clouds were it wasn’t going to let up anytime soon.

Rider quickly returns from her escapade outdoors and shakes the water from her fur before taking her place in front of the fireplace, tracking muddy paw prints in her wake.

He sighs softly and closes the door, rubbing at the knot in the back of his neck as he enters the kitchen, freezing in place when he sees Eden sitting at the table and flipping through her little blue book.

Suddenly he remembers watching intently as she searched through that very same book while giving him a brief history of the war between Corona and Saporia. Talking a mile per minute as she flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for. A recipe for a potion that when combined with Saporian magic could mask the outward appearance of any who drank it. They spent the next few days collecting the ingredients, and then it took another day for everything to brew. But when it was done and she drank it… Gone were her dark curls, replaced with straight red hair, her rounded face had become more pointed, and the only remnants of her actual appearance were her eyes.

At the time he thought it was so she could hide from her husband and nothing more, but now... He has to wonder how many faces has she worn over the years.

How many times has he crossed paths with her in the street without knowing? How many times has she changed her name and her face to hide and live another day?

Quirin shakes the thought from his head and clears his throat. “Good morning,” he greets her and she jumps, looking away from the page with wide eyes. He frowns. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean too--”

“No, no, it’s just… I’ve just gotten used to being alone,” she mumbles. She clears her throat and forces a smile. “I-I hope I’m not overstepping any bounds.”

“Of course not, this is still--” Quirin’s voice catches in his throat. Still what? Still her home? Are they still even technically married? He’s spent the past fifteen years thinking she was dead. Everyone in the village has spent the past fifteen years thinking she was dead. Their _son_ has spent his entire life thinking she was dead. He looks away and rubs the back of his neck. “I see you’re still up at the crack of dawn,” he comments in an attempt to change the subject.

“You’re assuming I slept at all,” she replies, turning her gaze back to the book and he chuckles lightly.

“You know, Varian has a nasty habit of staying up all night if you let him,” Quirin says with a fond smile. “Guess he got that from you.”

Eden smiles and looks away from the page again. “Is that right? And what does he get from you?”

“According to Edmund he gets my recklessness…” he mumbles. He catches himself staring at her again and he looks away. He goes to speak, but no words come out, so he busies himself at the counter while Eden turns back to her book.

She flips through the pages, searching for something, anything, really that would help her figure out how exactly Cassandra regained her memories. But no matter how many times she looks through the book she can’t find anything useful. The only way, at least that she knows of, to negate the effects of the spell she used was with a potion. One that's very complicated to make at that. She closes the book and rubs at her temple.

Maybe the spell just wears off over time, although, how it happened doesn’t matter now, does it?

She hums in gratitude when a mug is placed on the table, glancing at Quirin when he sits across from her. They sit together in awkward silence, Quirin sipping at his coffee while Eden stares at hers. Quirin shifts in his chair, causing it to creak and he takes a breath.

“Eden,” she looks up at him. “I need to know,” he begins, expression turning grim. “Did your daughter tell you anything about what she’s planning to do with the Moonstone?”

“Moonstone…?” Eden’s eyebrows knit together with confusion. She thinks back to the night Cassandra had found her, how the gemstone on her chest flashed brightly and one of those rocks nearly destroyed her cottage. Is that what he was talking about? “No, she didn’t say anything about it. She came in the middle of the night, asked questions, and left to go find Varian.”

“Listen, I-I know you said he’s safe where he is, but…” she trails off and bites her lower lip.

“You know, it’s been just about two weeks since he’s isolated himself,” Quirin muses over his mug. “I should go and check on him to see how he’s holding up once the rain lets up some more.”

Eden smiles, shoulders slumping with relief. She turns to the window, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Once this lets up I need to get to the capital. I have to speak to Roy. Let him know I’m still… You know… Get the ‘I told you so’ lecture…” Her smile falters and she rubs at her temple again. “Oh, I really should have listened to him, shouldn’t I?”

“I should have taken her with me, or I should have _stayed,_ or at the very least kept in touch with her somehow.”

“There’s no use in dwelling on what you should have done differently,” Quirin says. “All you can do now is try to make things right with your children.”

“I think it’s too late for that now,”

“Maybe, but, it’s not too late to try. Believe me, I should know.” Quirin stares at his mug. “For the longest time, I wasn’t the kind of father Varian deserved. I was hard on him, unfair to him, I kept things from him, and there’s so much I wish I had done differently. But, instead of dwelling on it, I’ve made the effort to try and be better. To try and be the father he deserves.” he smiles gently at her. “And I know you can try and be the mother your children deserve.”

Eden fiddles with the silk bookmark hanging from the book. “They deserve better than a mother who would choose to save herself by leaving them rather than be there for them.”

“You’re right,” he replies bluntly. “They do deserve better, but… Don’t you think they at least deserve the chance to decide for themselves if they want you in their lives?”

Eden stills, staring at the table as she allows herself to think. She never gave them a say in the matter when she left. Cassandra was only four, and she had erased her memories when she left the first time, and Varian was barely even one when she left the second time. And while she knows she doesn’t deserve the chance that either of them might want her in their lives, that they might forgive her, that selfish part of her wants it so badly. She’s wanted the chance for so many years.

“I don’t deserve to be in their lives,” she says, taking a breath. “But you’re right, that’s something I should let them decide. Thank you.”

Quirin smiles into his mug and they fall into a comfortable silence. Only for that silence to be disrupted minutes later by an explosion from upstairs. Muffled shouting can be heard soon after, and Quirin drags his hand down his face with a heavy sigh.

Varian stares at the wall, his eyes drifting over each of the notes he has tacked up or written on the brick as he rolls a piece of chalk up and down his work table. His eyes hurt, and he’s struggling to keep them open as he tiredly stares at his work. He hasn’t slept much since he met with Cassandra, having thrown himself back into his work and focusing solely on translating the scroll. 

But he’s stuck again. Once again unable to fully concentrate on it as his mind wanders. 

He should have gone straight to Rapunzel, but what was there to tell her? That he tried and failed to talk Cassandra into coming home? That she doesn’t _want_ to come back? That she asked him to join her in her quest to destroy Corona? Okay, maybe he should tell her that part, but, Cass doesn’t really _mean_ it, does she? Corona is her home and her anger is at the crown, not the thousands of innocent people that live in Corona… Right?

“Varian?” the boy jumps in his chair when he hears his father calls for him. He turns to the stairs, finding his father already halfway down them.

“O-Oh, hey, Dad,” he chuckles. “Has it been two weeks already?”

“Just about,” Quirin sets down a crate containing everything from food, to scrap metal, to tools, and Ruddiger is rummaging through it not even two seconds later. “How are you holding up, son?” A tired hum is his only response and he pats his shoulder, letting his hand linger as the letter tucked away in his vest feels heavy.

“How are things back at home?”

“Same as ever. It rained pretty hard for a few days, and poor Catalina’s pumpkin crop got washed away before it even had the chance to root.”

Varian tilts his head back to look at his father. “You got them to work the fields? How’d you manage that?”

“Well, I’m paying them for one, and I also agreed to give them some basic sword training once we were done.”

Varian rests his elbow on the table and his chin in his hand. “You never gave _me_ basic sword training…” he pouts and Quirin ruffles his hair.

“You already know the basics,” he reminds him. “But, once you’ve finished with this, I'll give you some more advanced training.”

Varian hums in response and they become silent as he gets back to analyzing his notes. Quirin reaches into his vest, pulling out the letter and letting his mind race. What does he tell him? How is he supposed to tell him that his mother is still alive? That she’s in Corona right now looking for his sister. Should he even tell him he has a sister? Or should he let his mother tell him herself when they meet? Would he even _want_ to meet her, or would he want nothing to do with her?

He’s spent the past few days psyching himself up to talk to him about this, but now that the time’s come he doesn’t know what to do or say. Talking with Varian has never been something he’s been good at, yes, he’s gotten better at it, but something like this is... 

Maybe it would have been easier to bring her here and introduce them. He looks at his son, following his gaze to the wall, covered in his writing and sketches regarding the Sunflower, Moonstone, and the rocks.

“Dad?” he’s pulled from his thoughts by a tug on his vest. “Are you alright?” Varian asks, worried. “You seem… Distracted.” His eyes fall on the envelope in his father’s hand and his eyebrows knit together with concern. “Is everything alright?”

Quirin hesitates, mouth turning dry as his son looks up at him. He has so much on his plate already, wouldn’t it be cruel to give him something else to stress out about?

“Dad,” Varian presses further, and now Ruddiger is crooning at him with concern. “Talk to me. What’s the matter?”

A heavy sigh escapes the former knight, and he closes his eyes. He knows Varian’s not going to let this go, and it will only distract him from his current project. “Varian,” he begins, reluctantly. “I have something important I need to tell you.”

The throne room is so quiet you could hear a pin drop. King Fredric, Queen Arianna, and Princess Rapunzel all sit on their respective thrones with Nigel standing beside the king, while Eugene, King Edmund, Lance, and Maximus stand to the side with the captain of the guards standing in the center of the room before the King.

Rapunzel wrings her hands in her lap nervously. If the captain was back in Corona, alone, then that means he either gave up on his quest to find Cassandra, or he found her and things hadn’t gone well. She steals a glance at Eugene who gives her a comforting smile, and she smiles back at him before turning to face the captain when her father speaks.

“Captain,” Fredric begins. “I trust your search went well?”

Rapunzel holds her breath as the Captain’s expression hardens. “I’m afraid not, your Majesty.” He clears his throat. “I did find her, yes, but…” he trails off and sighs deeply. “I followed her, but lost sight of her shortly after returning to Corona,” he says. “She simply vanished, but she’s out there, I know she is.”

Rapunzel’s ears ring, drowning out the conversation being held between her father and the captain of the guards. Cassandra was back in Corona. She has been for a few days now, and no one knew where exactly she was. No one knows what she’s planning to do with the Moonstone. No one knows what she’s planning at all, for that matter.

“And how do you intend to apprehend her?” Fredric asks, pulling the princess from her thoughts.

“Apprehend--” Rapunzel turns to him. “Dad, this is _Cassandra_ we’re talking about, she’s not some criminal!”

“Rapunzel--”

“No!” She stands from her throne. “We can’t just… Treat her like a criminal when she hasn’t _done_ anything to warrant being arrested.”

“Yet,” Fredric retorts. “She hasn’t done anything _yet._ Rapunzel, I understand that you still see her as a friend, but, she’s still…” he trails off and Arianna’s eyebrows pinch together.

“She’s still _what_ Fredric?” she challenges. “ _Saporian?_ ”

“Arianna--”

“Plenty of our citizens are of Saporian descent. Members of our staff, of our guard, are of Saporian descent, and not one of them has posed a threat to us or the kingdom.” Her eyes narrow. “And need I remind you it was a Saporian who helped save me when I was ill?”

The king goes silent, leaning back in his throne. He avoids the gaze of everyone in the room and rubs at his temple.

“Rapunzel’s right,” Arianna continues. “Cassandra hasn’t done anything to warrant an arrest, and we shouldn’t treat her like a criminal.” Rapunzel sighs with relief and goes to speak, but she silences her. 

“But, we should still be on our guard,” she smiles sadly at her daughter. “I want her back as much as you do, Rapunzel, and I want to help her just as much, I do, but… We can’t ignore the possibility that, Saporian or not,” she shoots a glare at her husband. “She might attack Corona and we have to put our people before our personal feelings. You understand, don’t you?”

Rapunzel’s mind drifts back to the blizzard. How she had chosen her people over a friend in desperate need of her help. It’d be hypocritical of her now to choose her friend over her people.

“I understand,”

Varian and his father sit on the stairs, the boy tightly gripping a worn envelope with shaking hands. They say nothing to each other as he stares at his name written in faded ink, studying the handwriting. He’s seen it before, in a notebook he found in the cellar when he first made it his lab.

He had always known it was his mothers’, and he’s kept it with him over the years, practicing the recipes she had documented, tweaking some to make something new. It was his way of bonding with her, one could say. Because she had died when he was a baby.

Only, she didn’t really die. She was still alive and she was in Corona right now.

_’I’m positive he still has his fair share of secrets.’_ Zhan Tiri’s words echo in the back of his mind, and he looks at his father from the corner of his eye. He knows he’s not telling him everything. He can see it written all over his face.

But how much does he know? How _long_ has he known?

He shakes his head. No, no, no. If his father had known he would have _told_ him. He wouldn’t have let him go his entire life thinking his mother was _dead._ Right? He goes to ask, only to close his mouth. He doesn’t want to know. 

Ignorance is bliss, as they say.

He stands up suddenly, picking up Ruddiger as he approaches his work table. “I, uh, I need to get back to work,” he says quietly. “Th-Thanks for, uh, the supplies.”

“Varian--”

“I need to get this translated for the princess,” he cuts him off, voice trembling. “I still have so much work to do and I… I need to be alone right now, okay? I’ll come home once I’m done with the scroll. See you later, Dad.”

Quirin stands up, from where he was sitting. He goes to speak but his voice dies in his throat. “Take care of yourself, Varian,” he says before turning and ascending the staircase, leaving the boy to his work.

Ruddiger chirps with concern as he’s set down on the desk, looking up at Varian with his ears pinned back. Varian says nothing as he stares at the letter for a moment longer before stuffing it inside his backpack alongside the message Cassandra had sent him months ago.

Out of sight out of mind, right?

Varian looks back at the scroll and his notes on the wall, and picks up his journal and notes, flipping through the pages as he sets himself back to work.

The scroll has to be translated. He can’t stop until it’s translated.

Cassandra’s lost track of how long it’s been since she’s taken up residency at her mother's cottage. But it was a few weeks at the most. The cottage was warm and dry, and it offered her more protection than the grotto ever could.

She leans on the wall as she flips through one of her mother’s books. The book wasn’t on anything interesting, just a log of different plants and what medicinal effects they have and how to use them to their full effect. Occasionally she’d find where she had crossed out something and corrected it with a snarky comment.

Closing the book, she returns it to the shelf and pulls down another book, opening it to a random page. This one was a list of home remedies for various illnesses and injuries, and just like the other book, she had crossed something out and corrected it.

“What are you doing, Cassandra?” Zhan Tiri chides. “Why do you _insist_ on staying here?”

“Maybe I’m tired of sleeping on the ground,” she retorts. The truth of the matter is she’s biding her time. She doesn’t _want_ to face Rapunzel. She doesn’t know if she can face her.

She glances at the door, a small part of her hoping her mother would walk through at any second, and as if she sensed this, the ghostly figure frowns.

“She’s not coming back, Cassandra,” Zhan Tiri says, almost sympathetically and Cassandra frowns deeply. “She’s left you, again, you know that.”

“Yeah, well… It still beats sleeping on the ground,” Cassandra places the book back on the shelf and pulls down the next, flipping through the pages. “Besides, she knows magic, right? And Quirin’s in that Moonstone club, so maybe he told her about it, so maybe there’s something in one of her books that could help me figure out how to use the damn thing.”

“I told you, the only thing that could have helped you were those incantations in the Great Tree. But that wretched little brat destroyed them all,” The demon chooses to ignore the glare the young woman shoots at her. “And his predecessor saw to the destruction of the Demanitus Scroll himself ages ago.”

“The Demanitus Scroll, huh?” Cassandra looks up from the book, and Zhan Tiri raises an eyebrow. She doesn’t have a choice now, does she? Cassandra closes the book and sets it down. “Then it looks like I’m going to have to pay the princess a visit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update is Eugene's Birthday!!! And We all know what that means!!
> 
> Also, i named the captain... his name is Roy... because... It's a good name.


	14. Chapter VIV: Party Crasher

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An uninvited guest shows up to Eugene's party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time >:3c
> 
> so fun fact about this chapter; I wrote most of it on my phone because every time i went to bed I got Inspiriation™ and i knew if I ignored it I'd forget everything come morning so... Yeah...

Rapunzel hums to herself as she puts away her paints, smiling as Pascal climbs up her arm and onto her shoulder. She stands, taking several steps back to admire the work she’s done on the mural covering her bedroom walls.

“Well, Pascal? What do you think?” she asks, beaming at the wall with pride. “I think it’s coming along nicely, don’t you?”

The mural, while still incomplete, depicts everything she’s experienced in the two and a half years since she first came home. The friends she’s made, the places she’s been and the things she’s seen outside of Corona. Part of the wall is blank still, leaving plenty of room for her to add onto the mural in the future. She smiles. Sometimes it’s hard for her to believe that not even three years ago she was content with spending her days in her lonely tower. Never believing she could have any of what she has now.

The freedom to explore. Work that she loves to do. Friends that she adores, especially a certain someone.

She really is the luckiest girl in the world.

Rapunzel picks up her box of paints, humming a tune to herself as she goes to put it away on the shelf. She stops humming when two beaded bracelets catch her eye, one yellow and one blue, and she frowns. Cassandra was still out there, and none of the search parties sent to find her have been successful. Which means everyone’s still in the dark as to what she was--

She shakes her head. “No, no, no,” she tells herself. “I am not going to stress out about that today.” She takes a deep breath. Today is a very special day and she’s not going to let _anything_ ruin it.

“This is it,” Eugene says confidently to his reflection. “Today’s the day, Fitzherbert,” he pulls out a small box and opens it, revealing the gold ring with a citrine setting. Butterflies flutter in his stomach as he stares at it, the confidence he had but seconds ago leaving him. 

“But is today a _good_ day?”

He sighs heavily and closes the box with a gentle click. “Get it together, Eugene,” he scolds himself as Old Lady Crowley walks by sweeping. He clears his throat and leans on the doorframe.

“Mrs. Crowley?” the old woman looks at him with a disinterested scowl. “I, uh… You seem like you know a thing or two about the inner workings of one’s heart, so… Would you say today’s a good day to propose?”

Crowley looks him up and down as if she were studying him. “You’re not my type,” she says finally. “Now, that gruff fellow who talks to himself… He could be my type.”

Eugene blinks in response, opening and closing his mouth in an attempt to speak. The old woman carries on with her sweeping, and he sighs, retreating into his room. He picks up the ring box, staring at it again before taking a deep breath.

“Well, the worst that can happen is she says ‘no’,” Again. She could say ‘no’ _again._ Eugene shakes the thought from his head. “No. I’m going about this the Rapunzel way; incredibly optimistic.”

He places the ring inside the pouch on his thigh and leaves the room, closing the door behind him.

Eugene ventures down the halls, taking note of how unusually empty they were. This time of day the maids are busy polishing the floors or the many suits of armor that lines the hallways, or dusting portraits and statues, but he doesn’t see a single soul as he walks along. The sound of laughter from the banquet hall reaches his ears and he follows it.

“... Going to be amazing!” He smiles when he hears Rapunzel's voice.

“What’s going to be amazing?” He asks, poking his head into the room. 

“Nothing!” His girlfriend runs over to the doors, closing them just enough to keep him from entering. “Nothing is amazing! Why would anything be amazing?”

Eugene stares at her for a second before smiling fondly. “Sunshine, are you planning a party?”

“What? No!” Rapunzel scoffs. Her face twists into a frown. “Okay, yes, but it’s uh… For my parents!” She grins at him. “It’s their anniversary!”

“But…”Eugene pauses and mentally counts the months. “Their anniversary was six months ago?”

“No, no, it’s six months from _now!_ That’s what makes it a surprise!”

Eugene peers over her head, spotting the king and queen chatting with his father. “But, they’re—“

“Lance!” Rapunzel calls, and Keira and Catalina release Lance from his ribbon prison. “Can you and Eugene go into town and get these things for the party?” She shoves a list into Lance’s hands. “And, please, _take your time._ ”

“Of course, princess!” Lance moves past her and takes Eugene by his shoulder. “Come along, Eugene.”

“Wha-But, I—“ Rapunzel closes the door and leans against it. “ _Will you stop pushing me!?_ ” She hears him shout and she lets out a sigh.

“What’s the matter, dear?” Arianna asks, smiling gently. “Why are you so nervous?”

“I just want today to be perfect. It’s Eugene’s first actual birthday and… I think he suspects something.”

“Nonsense,” Edmund disagrees. “Eugene doesn’t suspect a thing! I’ve made sure of that. I haven’t even _thought_ about his birthday when around him.” He smiles, proud of himself. “He’s going to be so surprised. Now, high-five Fredric to show comradery.”

Rapunzel smiles as the two kings exchange a high-five, and Pascal chirps at her from her shoulder.

“That’s right,” she smiles. “There’s still one more surprise in store for tonight.”

Rapunzel excuses herself and runs off to her room. She climbs the ladder leading to her reading nook and reaches under a pillow, pulling out a small box.

She opens the box, exposing the red and gold band engraved with Corona’s sun and ornate patterns with a yellow sapphire setting. Pascal squeaks with awe at the sight of the ring and Rapunzel smiles.

“Tonight, just before he blows out the candles, _I_ am going to propose to Eugene.” She announces to the chameleon. “I don’t wear shoes, but if I did, I’d say they’d be on the other foot.”

She smiles down at the ring and sighs with content. Carefully, she pulls it from the box and uses her sleeve to shine the sapphire, letting out a hum of satisfaction when it sparkles in the light. She may not know what fate has in store for them, but she doesn’t want to wait any longer to spend the rest of her days with him. 

“No matter what happens, as long as we’re together, I know everything will be fine.”

It’s early in the evening by the time Eugene and Lance finish everything on Rapunzel’s list. Eugene shifts the items in his arms, cursing under his breath as he nearly drops everything for the third time. What could Rapunzel possibly need all this stuff for? Better yet, what did having them paint the gazebo and braid the horses' manes and tails have _anything_ to do with the anniversary party?

He listens as Lance checks things off the list, and he has to wonder why exactly he was taking this so _seriously._ He’s never this thorough about anything.

Lance stops walking suddenly, and Eugene, unable to see over what he’s carrying, walks right into him, once again nearly dropping everything. He shifts everything again to shoot an annoyed look at his friend.

“Lance--”

“Hold on a second,” Lance hushes him by putting his hand over his mouth. “We need to make sure everything is exactly as it should be,”

Eugene pulls away from him. “Lance, we’ve been at this all day, I’m sure everything’s fine.”

“Eugene,” Lance turns to him. “The _princess_ gave me a job and you’re asking me to slack off?”

“No,” Eugene shoves past him and uses his shoulder to push the door to the banquet all open. “I’m asking you to hurry it up before we miss the…” he trails off as he steps into a dark room. “The party…. Great. We missed it.”

The room suddenly lights up.

“Surprise!” Everyone in the room cheers as they jump out from their hiding places, with a smiling Rapunzel in the center of them all, causing Eugene to jump and drop everything with a startled shout.

“Wha--” he looks around the room, decorated in typical Corona party decor. But what catches his eye is the banner that reads ‘Happy Birthday Eugene Fitzherbert’ on it. “This is for me?” he asks. “Why?”

“Because,” Rapunzel is at his side before he knows it, holding on to her arm. “Today is your _actual_ birthday!”

Eugene’s heart skips a beat and he looks to Edmund. “It is?” The dark king gives him a nod and he smiles, eyes lighting up with near childlike excitement as he ventures further into the room. “This party is for _me!_ And just because I was born! Oh, man, how did I go so long without one?”

“Because I sent him away as a babe, and his entire life was a lie.” Edmund thinks aloud, and Eugene deflates.

“Thank you for that, dad.” Eugene’s eyes light up again when Atilla brings out the cake. _His_ cake. His very first birthday cake! Why is he so excited about this?

His eyebrows furrow when he looks at it. “I… Don’t mean to sound nitpicky, but there are one too many candles on this cake.”

“Uh, no, no, that’s right.” Rapunzel corrects him. “You are one year older than you thought you were. Surprise!”

Eugene looks back to Edmund for the second time that night. “I am?” the dark king nods once again and Eugene runs a hand through his hair. “I’m twenty-six?” he asks himself quietly. “Huh.”

Rapunzel takes his hand, and smiles at him, and how many candles on there are on the cake doesn’t matter to him anymore. He tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear “You did all this for me?”

“Of course!” Rapunzel takes his other hand, linking their fingers together. “You deserve a day that’s all about you.” She stands on her tiptoes and kisses him. “Happy birthday, Eugene.”

“Yeah,” The chattering in the room comes to an abrupt stop, filling the room with a deafening silence. Everyone turns to the door, and Rapunzel’s breath catches in her throat when she sees an all too familiar figure leaning against the door frame. “ _Happy birthday._ ”

Cassandra locks eyes with the princess for a brief moment before looking at Eugene. “I’m guessing my invitation got lost in the mail?”

The party-goers cover their ears when the young woman drags her sword across the floor as she closes the distance between herself and the princess. Stan and Pete take up their halberds but stay still when Rapunzel raises a hand to keep them at bay.

The princess bites her lower lip as Cassandra approaches the cake. “Cassandra, I… Where have you been?”

“I’ve been helping myself you might say,” she responds, taking the serving knife and cutting herself a slice of cake. “It’s about time I did that, don’t you think?” she picks up a fork and her plate, looking back at the princess. “I’ve thought a lot about how we left things and it makes me… Sad.”

A hopeful smile blooms across Rapunzel’s face. “It makes me sad too,” she says. “I’ve missed you, Cassandra, and I- I want to make thing’s right between us so we can be friends again.”

“Oh, yeah?” Cassandra smiles at her. “Well, if that’s the case then you can start by giving me the scroll.”

Rapunzel’s smile falters. “W-What?”

“I think it’s an even trade,” the swordswoman begins circling her like a predator would its prey. “A piece of paper you can’t even read…” she stops behind her. “In exchange for everything you’ve taken from me.”

“Rapunzel--”

“Can it, birthday boy,” Cassandra cuts him off. “Blondie can think for herself, hm?” Rapunzel turns to her and she gives her a pointed look. “Give me the scroll and I leave Corona in peace.”

After a moment's hesitation, Rapunzel swallows the lump in her throat. “Cassandra, I-I don’t think--”

“Oh, I know, it’s hard making decisions when the only friends and advisors you have left are ex-convicts and losers.”

“Hey!” Eugene snaps. “We are not ex-convicts!”

“Technically we’ve never been convicted of anything,” Lance adds and Cassandra rolls her eyes.

“I’ll give you some time to decide,” she tosses her slice of cake at Eugene, who fumbles with the plate before it falls to the floor and shatters. “Happy birthday, Fitzherbert.”

Rapunzel’s heart beats at a rabbit's pace as Cassandra takes her leave. She closes the door behind her, the sound echoing through the quiet room, and Eugene places a hand on her shoulder.

“Next year, I’d like a say on the guest list,” he jokes in an attempt to lighten the mood, earning a halfhearted chuckle from the princess. He clears his throat and looks around the room. “Alright everyone, thank you… So much for coming but… Party’s over.”

As he leads Rapunzel out of the room, Lance and the girls on their heels, he glances at his father and a shiver runs down his spine. The man is _furious._ His arm was shaking with his fist clenched tightly at his side, and Eugene’s positive if not for Xavier’s hand on his shoulder he would have challenged Cassandra for the stone then and there. He nods in thanks at Xavier as they pass, and they leave the room, the party-goers following soon after. 

The princess paces around the room. She can’t give Cassandra the scroll. Demanitus had said that in the wrong hands the scroll could be used to destroy the world, and while she wants so badly to think that Cassandra wouldn’t use it for something like that, she doesn’t want to take the chance. She _won’t_ take that chance.

“I’m not giving her the scroll,” she says firmly as she stops pacing. “It’s too dangerous.”

“Right,” Eugene nods. “The last thing we need is to just hand over the instructions to wield the most powerful objects in the world to someone who might use it to _destroy_ the world. But… She did say she’d leave and never come back, so that’s a plus.”

“We have no way of knowing what she’s been up to since we last saw her,” Lance comments. “For all we know she plans on taking that scroll and using it to get rid of us and take over the world.”

“You’re not helping, Lance,”

“Why don’t you just hide the scroll?” Keira suggests.

“Yeah,” Catalina agrees. “If it’s that dangerous then shouldn’t it be locked up somewhere so no one can use it?”

Rapunzel and Eugene share a knowing look. “We… Don’t have it.”

Varian leans against his work desk, staring intently at the wall while sipping hot cocoa from a beaker. He hums into the beaker, eyes scanning his notes and charts. He’s missing something. He knows he is, but for the life of him he can’t figure out what. The journal, while he’s gotten most of its pages translated, offers him no help with uncovering the final secret of the scroll. But, it did offer him various contraptions and experiments to try, and he’s really looking forward to trying them all, so there’s that. But the scroll… All but one incantation has been translated and the fact that he doesn’t even know where to begin looking for the fourth and final incantation is driving him up the wall.

Distantly he can hear his name called. What is he missing? He finds himself wishing that Canardist and Vigor were in Corona because then he could get some vague fortune pointing him in the right direction. His name is called again, louder this time. Or maybe, there’s something at Demantius’ tomb that could help him. Or--

“Varian?” a hand on his shoulder pulls him from his thoughts and causes him to jump. He whirls around to Rapunzel who smiles sweetly at him.

“Oh! Oh, um…” he clears his throat. “Hi. I uh… Wasn’t expecting you… So soon.” He clears his throat again and rubs his arm. He gives a sheepish wave to Eugene, Lance, and Maximus.

Rapunzel squeezes his shoulder and looks to the wall. Her eyes widen with amazement as she looks over his research before they fall on the scroll. “Good! You have the scroll.”

“Yes, and that’s not all!” Varian’s eyes light up with excitement and he shows her his work. “It took me a while, but I’ve created this key to help me translate the text in its entirety!”

“Oh, I knew I could count on you, Varian!” Rapunzel beams. “What does it say?”

Varian guides her to the scroll. “This is the healing incantation,” he says, pointing at the drawing of the sun. He then points to the moon. “This is the decay incantation, and this,” he points to a third drawing, depicting the sun and moon falling from the heavens. “This is the third incantation. It allows whoever possesses the Moonstones to wield complete control of the black rocks.”

“That’s why she wants the scroll…” Rapunzel mumbles to herself.

Eugene takes notice of the sluggish way Varian moves, and he can see the bags under his eyes. He clears his throat. “Next question,” he interrupts before Varian could continue. “When was the last time you slept, goggles?”

Varian stares at him for a few seconds. “Anyway,” he turns back to the wall, and Eugene scowls. “It says here that there are _four_ incantations, not three!” his face falls and he pulls the scroll down from the wall. “But I can’t find it anywhere on the scroll or in the journal.”

“Uh, guys?” Lance clears his throat. “You might want to stop talking about the secret of the scroll.”

Rapunzel and Varian turn around to face Cassandra at the top of the stairs. A sly smile spreads across the young woman’s face. “Oh, no need to stop on my account.”

“Cass—“ Varian takes a step forward only to have his path blocked by Rapunzel’s arm.

“Hide the scroll, Varian, we can't let her get her hands on that incantation.”

“But- but the scroll is useless without the translation key,”

“Oh, yeah? Then I guess I need two things.”

Eugene draws his sword. “Goggles, hide the scroll, Blondie, I’ll handle Cass.”

Eugene throws himself at her, and his sword shatters when it collides with her arm. “Her armor— It’s made out of the—“ the wind is knocked out of him by a swift kick to the chest, and he goes flying down the stairs into Lance’s arms.

Cassandra draws the shadow blade and slices through one of the metal supports on the Demantius device, causing a large globe to fall and roll after the two men and the broncho. Rapunzel pulls Varian out of the globe's path before he could be crushed and uses her hair to block Cassandra’s next attack.

“Cass,” she tries. “Please, lets just talk—“

“Oh, sure, why don’t we have a nice long chat about how you’ve taken _everything_ from me?”

“Cass, I--”

“Or would you rather talk about how my own _mother_ chose your life over mine?”

“What--” Rapunzel stumbles back and Cassandra’s sword cuts into the brick floor. “Cassandra, I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

“Then why don’t I _make_ you understand?”

Before she can act, Ruddiger lunges at her, clawing at her and hissing wildly before she rips him away from her and tosses him to the ground. The raccoon hisses at her before snatching the scroll from Varian and taking off with it. With a snarl, Cassandra chases after him, only to trip and fall when Rapunzel’s hair wraps tightly around her ankle just as she grabs onto the raccoon’s tail. Pascal runs forward and takes the scroll from Ruddiger, running off with it while Cassandra frees herself from Rapunzel’s hold. The swordswoman barely has time to roll out of the way before glass shatters at her side and a puddle of goo forms on the ground.

She glares at Varian as he dives behind the upturned table to make more of his goo bombs. She jumps to her feet, turning her attention back on the chameleon and giving chase with Rapunzel on her heels. Pascal runs past Eugene, Lance, and Maximus as they struggle to pull themselves out of danger of falling into the bottomless pit housing the Demanitus device, and quickly hops from globe to globe to escape Cassandra’s pursuit. He’s forced to release the scroll when she skillfully throws her sword at the globe he’s perched on, leaving him to catch himself on another with his tongue before he falls into the pit.

The scroll lands on the floor and Cassandra lunges for it, only for Rapunzel to snatch it away with her hair before she gets the chance.

“Look at me, Cassandra!” Rapunzel pleads. “You _know_ me! I have always supported you! Whatever this anger is let’s face it together!”

Cassandra glares daggers at the princess and tightly grips the hilt of her sword, satisfied when she flinches back.

“Cass, please, somewhere inside you _know_ this isn’t right,” her heart flutters when the swordswoman’s hand falls away from the sword. “Please, just come home with us, and I promise we’ll work this out.”

Cassandra lets her words sink in, breathing heavily in an attempt to catch her breath. This isn’t right, is it? Attacking her friends over a piece of paper? She’s no better than Fredric now, is she?

“Questioning your path, are you?” Her eyes snap to Zhan Tiri as she manifests behind Rapunzel.

“No!” she quickly responds. “I wasn’t!”

Rapunzel glances around and looks back at her friend with concern. “Who are you talking to?” she swallows hard when Cassandra glares at her again. “Cass,” she takes a step forward. “I’m not going to fight you.”

“She’s trying to trick you,” Zhan Tiri warns. “She’s only after your power!”

“Don’t want to fight? Fine then, don’t fight.” Cassandra grabs her sword and it glows with the power of the Moonstone before she slams it into the Demanitus device, causing the ancient wood and stone to crack and crumble.

As Eugene and Maximus finally manage to pull themselves to safety, the device begins to fall apart, causing rubble to fall from the ceiling all around them and for Eugene to curse under his breath.

“Just _once_ I would like for one of us to have a birthday where nothing bad happens!” He shouts in his frustration. Maximus whinnies at him and grabs his sleeve pulling him out of harm's way as a wooden beam falls from the ceiling, nearly crushing him.

The Demantius device falls towards them, and Lance instinctively puts his hands out to catch it and to keep it from crushing them, and much to his surprise, it works. He chuckles with amazement while Eugene and Maximus gawk at him.

“Guess I don’t know my strength,”

“Get out of there!” Rapunzel grunts in pain, and it’s then that they see her hair tightly wrapped around the device while she pulls against it. “I can’t-- I can’t hold it!”

Cassandra saunters up to her, and simply takes the scroll from where the princess had it tucked under her arm. “See? That wasn’t so hard, now was it?” she pats her on the cheek just before the device topples forward, pulling her through the air.

“Come on, come on,” Varian urges the contents of the beaker as he quickly stirs it. He hears the crash of the Demantius device, and he _feels_ the tremors it causes in the chamber, nearly causing him to drop the beaker.

“Oh, Varian,” Cassandra calls to him in a sing-song voice. He quickly jumps out of the way as she slices the table in half.

“Cassandra,” he takes a step backward. “Cass, stop this. You know this isn’t right--”

“You know, I’m getting tired of people telling me what I know,” Cassandra comments. “Now move so I can translate this damn thing.”

“You know what? Keep the scroll,” Varian tells her and throws the contents of the beaker against the wall, causing it to sizzle and smoke as it erodes the brick, effectively destroying his hard work. He smiles and crosses his arms with confidence. “But without my translation key it’s useless, and since I’m the only one that can translate it, you’ll never know what it says, and-” His smile falters and panic washes over him. “And I should really stop talking now…”

“Rapunzel!” Eugene runs to the edge of the pit, watching helplessly as she untangles her hair from the Demanitus device. “Hurry!” he urges, watching as the platform the device is on begins to sink to the pit. Rapunzel leaps forward and he catches her, smiling only for her to cry out in pain suddenly, and they’re pulled forward as the Demantius device continues to fall into the pit. Her hair is still caught around one of the mechanisms, pulling them towards the pit. Lance and Maximus grab them both, pulling back as Pascal quickly climbs down to untangle her hair.

From the corner of his eye, Lance sees Varian fall to the ground. He looks, and his eyes widen when he sees Cassandra simply hoist the boy over her shoulder and--

They suddenly stumble backward when the princess’ hair is freed just before the device collapses completely. The torches lighting the chamber are blown out and dust fills the air as everything falls silent.

The princess coughs, rubbing at the aching pain in her scalp and sits up. “Cassandra?” she calls out as the dust settles. “Varian?”

They look back to where the alchemist had destroyed part of the wall to keep the secret of the scroll away from Cassandra, and Rapunzel swallows hard when no one answers her calls. Her eyes scan the chamber for any sight of them, but they were nowhere to be seen. She tightly grips Eugene’s arms when Lance voices her fears.

“She took him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eugene freaking out about being a year older than he thought annoyed me so he just... Doesn't do that here. Instead, he's too focused on the fact that Rapunzel did all this FOR HIM and he LOVES HER so much.
> 
> Next time, sibling bonding time with Cassie and Varian uwu


	15. Chapter XV: Nothing Left To Lose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra travels further down her path and Varian tries to reach her before she's too far gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for some Quality Sibling Bonding
> 
> this chapter is short and to the point, i know, and I was super tempted to jump between Cass and Varian to Raps and everyone else, BUT, I wanted to focus solely on these two because I love them and Nothing Left To Lose slaps.

Cassandra can’t say that she doesn’t feel a little guilty for slamming the back of Varian’s head against the wall like she did, but she needs him to translate the scroll for her, and knew he wouldn’t come with her willingly, and it was the only thing she could think of at the time. As long as she didn’t give him a concussion, he should be fine.

She leads a horse with Varian unconscious over it’s back through the forest as she digs through his pack, searching for anything that she could use to make him tell her what she wants to know. She shifts through everything, chemicals, books, the message she had sent him. She pulls out an envelope with his name written in their mother’s hand on it. She stares at it, her cheeks turning hot with anger.

If she could send him letters, why not send any to her? Did she care more about him than she did her? Did their mother just want to forget about everything from her old life like she forced her to forget?  
“So what exactly is your plan?” Zhan Tiri asks suddenly, pulling her away from her thoughts. “You’re just going to run away?”

“No one is running!” Cassandra snaps, shoving the letter back in the bag, and the horse lets out a startled nicker.

“One would think now that you have the power of the rocks, you wouldn’t feel the need to hide anymore.”

“I’m not hiding from anything!”

Zhan Tiri hums and smooths out her apron. “Yes, well, I trust I don’t need to remind you that failure is _not_ an option.” she turns away from her. “And when Rapunzel comes for you, you must be prepared to protect what is rightfully yours.”

Cassandra looks away from her and thinks. “I need a stronghold,” she says after a few moments and she smirks. “And I know just where to build one.”

Varian groans. His head is killing him, there’s this sickly sweet taste in his mouth, and he can’t move his arms. He opens his eyes, finding his vision is blurry as he groggily tries to remember what had happened. He was in the Demanitus Chamber… Rapunzel and the others came to visit… Something about the scroll, and then Cassandra--

He jolts upright, or at least he tries too. He can’t move very much and he tries to move his arms only to find he’s chained to a wooden beam. Frantically he looks around to take in his surroundings, worsening the throbbing pain in his head. He’s at the tower. Or, what was left of it, at least. Now it was completely destroyed, overtaken by the black rocks just like countless towns and villages they saw on the road. He spots Cassandra sitting across from him and he glares at her.

“Cass--”

“I need that third incantation, Varian.”

He glares at her with defiance. “ _Never._ ”

Cassandra smirks in amusement. “You know, I had a feeling you’d say that,” she holds up his pack. “Which is why I went through your little bag of tricks,” she drops it and stands up. “I found something that might change your mind.”

She tosses a small empty glass bottle at his feet, and the color drains from his face when he reads the label. That explains the taste in his mouth. “Do you know what this is?”

Varian scoffs. “No,” 

Cassandra crosses her arms, watching as his face twists with discomfort and then pain.

“Y-Yes! I-It’s a truth serum that I made by altering one of my mother's recipes with plans to force the king to admit how bad things were getting with the rocks, it compels the drinker to tell the truth and answer any question asked,” he answers in one breath. He gulps and looks up at her with disbelief. “Y-You drugged me?”

Cassandra feels a twang of guilt, but she quickly chases it away. She picks up the scroll and walks over to him, crouching down beside him. “What’s the third incantation, Varian?”

Varian presses his lips into a thin line, biting his tongue until he tastes blood in an attempt to keep himself from speaking. His discomfort turns into pain. “C-Crescent high above--” he tries again to keep himself from speaking, this time by biting his lip to no avail. “Evolving--” he hisses in pain through gritted teeth. “Evolving as you go… R-Raise what lies beneath, and let the darkness grow.”

Cassandra notices the Moonstone flicker in response and the rocks around them begin to let off a dim blue light. Varian’s shoulders slump as he gives in to the effects of the truth serum.

“Bend it to- to my will, consume the sunlight's glow,” the rocks glow brighter, and the two streaks in his hair begin glowing just the same. “Rise into the sky, and let the darkness grow.” He hangs his head, his hair falling over his eyes. 

“Let darkness grow.”

Rapunzel tightly holds Eugene’s hand as they make their way through the Herz Der Sonne tunnels leading back to the castle. She feels something rise in her she’s only felt a handful of times; anger. She tries to push it down, not trusting herself to think clearly otherwise. And right now she _has_ to think clearly.

Cassandra has the scroll. Cassandra has _Varian._ She knows she only took him to translate it, but what is she going to do with him once he wasn’t any more use to her? Will—

She’s pulled from her thoughts when the ground shakes violently, causing her to nearly lose her balance. The group huddles together and she unites her hair, ready to use it to shield them from any falling rubble loosened by the tremors.

The tremors can be felt throughout Corona; at the castle where it startles the horses in their stables and summons the king and queen from their chambers, and where a fallen king’s anger only rises.

In the town square where the captain of the royal guard and his men usher people to safety.

At an inn just outside the city where a woman catches herself on a table as glass bottles fall from the chest of drawers and shatter on the floor.

At the Snuggly Duckling, putting an end to the bar thugs drunken merriment.

In Old Corona where the villagers step outside to see what the commotion was about, where the village leader, a man all too familiar with these tremors, does everything in his power to calm the growing panic.

In a forest clearing where two knights share a knowing look.

When the tremors finally come to an end, a black tower stands tall against the full moon for all to see. A shockwave of magical energy parts the clouds with a powerful gust of wind.

Cassandra stands tall, smirking up at the fortress looming above her. “Home sweet home.”

Varian is forced to follow Cassandra up the spiral staircase leading to the top of the tower. Heavy rocks bound his wrists together in front of him as the young woman leads him along by the crook of his elbow. He glances at her, her expression unreadable.

“Why are you doing this, Cass?” he asks her and spares him a glance.

“I told you, I’m fulfilling my destiny.”

“Yeah, you keep saying that, but… Is this really what you want?”

Cassandra doesn’t answer him, instead, she stares ahead, her grip on his arm tightening hard enough that he winces, but she doesn’t notice. Of course, this is what she wants! She wants to fulfill her destiny just like anyone else would. She touches the stone with her other hand. But… Is it really worth all of this?

“He’s trying to get inside your head, Cassandra,” Zhan Tiri says from behind. “Your destiny is nearly within your grasp, you mustn't doubt yourself now. Rapunzel will soon come for the boy, and that is when you will face her with the full power of the Moonstone and achieve your goal.”

Cassandra says nothing as they come to their destination. She pulls Varian to a stop, turning to the opening and using her newfound power to seal it, trapping them both within the empty room before turning back to him.

“Look, I know none of this is your fault, and I _don’t_ want to hurt you,” to help prove her point she breaks the rocks around his wrists. “But when Rapunzel comes for you, _don’t_ do anything stupid.”

Varian rubs at his wrists, already able to see the inevitable bruises. He looks back at her.

He knows she’s angry and he _gets_ it, but he also knows that she’s making a mistake and if something isn’t done about it soon, she might not be able to make up for it. But how can he make her see that?

“Cassandra, I…” Varian bites his lower lip. “I know you’re angry, and I know you feel like Rapunzel’s taken everything from you, and you feel like you live in her shadow but… You know that none of that’s true.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,”

“No, I know exactly what I’m talking about,” he walks up to her. “When my dad was encased by the amber, I blamed Rapunzel for months, even after she did everything she could to help me. I wanted to hurt her and make her feel everything I felt.”

“I know you want her to feel what you’re feeling because that’s the only way she can understand but… Cass, you’re letting something dark take those feelings and twist you into something you’re not. Into someone, you’re not. And if you don’t stop now, you’ll end up doing something you’ll regret.”

He takes her hand. “Just… Let’s go home, Cassie.”

“I—“ Cassandra struggles to find her voice.

“Please,” he squeezes her hand. “I don’t know what your destiny is, but becoming the villain can’t—“

“Is that what you think I am?!” Cassandra demands, jerking away from him. “You really think that my being tired of being overshadowed by Rapunzel, being tired of everyone putting her first makes me the _villain?_ ”

“N-No, but—“ he stumbles backward when Cassandra advances on him.

“How can you think I’m the villain when I’ve lost _everything_ because of her?” She grabs him by the front of his shirt, lifting him off the ground and he struggles to break free. “Our own _mother_ left us behind because of her, and _I’m_ the villain?”

“O-Our—“ Varian stills. “W-What do you mean _’our mother’_?”

Cassandra drops him and turns away from him. “Why don’t you ask her yourself? Seeing as she cares enough about you to send letters.”

“Cassandra, I—“ his mind races faster than he can keep up with.

Cassandra walks away from him, leaving him to his thoughts as her own run wild.

He’s wrong. She’s not the villain here, she’s the victim. She lost everything, her home, her family, _everything._ Why shouldn’t she be mad? Why shouldn’t she want the one person who took everything from her to know how it feels? To understand her pain? 

Nothing’s taking advantage of her feelings. She _chose_ this path she’s on, she’s chosen to lose her doubts and the chains holding her back.

She approaches a broken painting of the princess watching the lanterns and extends her hand, black rock spikes growing from the floor and putting the portrait on display. She hesitates, staring at the painting with uncertainty, only for that uncertainty to be chased away by anger.

She’s choosing to lose each weakness that remains.

Varian sees Cassandra form a blade on her wrist out of her armor. His eyes widen and he drops the letter his- their?- mother had written to him and runs forward to grab her wrist before she can destroy the painting. He looks at her pleadingly as she glares at him.

“You still have so much to hold onto…”

“I only want what’s rightfully mine,” she pulls away from him, slashing at him with the blade to make him back away.

Varian takes a step toward her. “Cass, _please_ —“ 

Cassandra knocks him away with a wave of black rocks, knocking him back several feet and he hears something crack. He lands in a heap on the floor, a sharp pain shooting through his chest as he pushes himself to his feet.

“ _Listen_ to me, Cassandra!” He pleads with her. A hand made of the rocks emerges from the floor and grabs him. It squeezes him, and he grunts in pain.

“No, you listen to me,” she marches over to him, rock spikes growing in her path. Her hand is closed around the air, mimicking that of the hand holding Varian. “I’m taking what’s mine, I’m taking what I want, and nothing you do or say is going to stop me.”

Cassandra opens her fist, the hand holding him dropping him and he falls forward, only to be caught by another hand. They close around him, trapping him behind finger-like bars. He looks out at her with wide eyes as she crouches down to his eye level.

“You’ll stay in that cage until this is done,” she says and rises to her feet. “And just in case you get any bright ideas…”

“Cassie—“ Varian’s voice catches in his throat as the cage suddenly moves and he’s outside. The wind blows through his hair and when he makes the mistake of looking down, his stomach drops and he breaks out into a cold sweat as his vision blurs again. He looks away, curling in on himself and putting his head in his hands.

Cassandra swallows the lump in her throat and ignores the guilt she feels as she turns away from the window she had sent him out of. With a flick of her wrist, a small cluster of the rocks grows and pierces the painting, and it shatters into dozens of pieces as she walks past it. A throne of black rocks rises from the floor in the center of the room. 

Nothing’s holding her back now. Not Rapunzel, not Varian, not herself, nothing. She sits upon the throne and takes a breath to calm her nerves. 

Now there’s nothing left for her to lose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all ever just... put your little brother in a cage and yeet him out a window hundreds of feet in the air?
> 
> i don't know if the truth serum causes pain or not, but Varian did seem pretty uncomfortable when he was under its effect and who doesn't love some Varian whump?
> 
> Next update; Rescue plans are made


	16. Chapter XVI: The Rock Tower Looms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel comes up with a plan to save Varian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we gooooooooooooo
> 
> me: *gives the captain a name*  
> also me: *only refers to him as the captain unless he's being addressed by name*

Rapunzel paces back and forth in front of the fireplace in her bedroom. She and the boys had only been back for maybe an hour, and she was covered in dirt and dust from the fight in the Demanitus Chamber and the Herz Der Sonne tunnels, but right now that was the least of her worries.

“We _have_ to figure out what Cassandra is planning to do with Varian and the scroll,” she says aloud. She stops pacing and mentally scolds herself. They already know what she’s planning on doing with them. And if those tremors meant anything, then she already has what she wanted. “I mean, we have to _find_ where she’s taken them! We can’t just sit here!”

“They could be anywhere, princess,” Lance says. “And even if we knew where they were, running in without a plan isn’t really a good idea.”

“Then let’s _make_ a plan,” Rapunzel says firmly. “We can’t just sit by and let her get away with this!”

Eugene tunes them out as he goes deep into thought. There’s not a doubt in his mind that they’re still in Corona, but where exactly they are is unknown to him. If they can find out where they are, then he can sneak in, grab the kid, and sneak back out without Cassandra noticing. His time as Flynn Rider made him rather good at that. But this wasn’t just for some gold or jewels. His kid brother’s life was on the line here and if he got caught he couldn’t count on Cassandra sparing them. 

He rubs at his temple.

Maybe he should have helped Edmund destroy the stone. If he had then maybe this wouldn’t be happening. Cassandra would still be her usual, annoying broody self, Varian would be home safe and sound, Rapunzel wouldn’t have to worry so much, and maybe even the rocks would be gone and things would be normal. Well, as normal as they could be.

Maybe then they’d be free of its curse.

He blinks as the moonlight shines through the window as the clouds part. His eyebrows pinch together when a tall shadow stretches across the room. His gaze turns to the window, and he stands from the chair he was sitting on. He approaches the window, leaning against the windowsill and peers out into the night. His stomach dropping at the sight of a tower taller than he’s ever seen looming in the far distance.

He feels Rapunzel take hold of his hand as she, Lance, and the girls join him at the window to gaze at the tower in the distance. He squeezes her hand.

“Don’t worry kid, we’re coming.”

Varian kicks a rock off the stone platform he once again finds himself on. The wind, which he isn’t even sure where it’s coming from, messes up his hair and sends a shiver down his spine. He feels something coil around his legs and up his torso, but he does nothing about it.

“What do you want?”

“You haven’t given up, have you?” Zhan Tiri asks him, clearly annoyed.

“What does it matter to you? If I give up, you win, that’s what you want, right?”

“Dear, I’m going to win regardless of how hard you try. But I can’t say I don’t enjoy watching you struggle and squirm.”

Varian says nothing, nor does he react when Zhan Tiri, in her true form, simply picks him up and sets him in her open palm. He’s forced to look at her however when she tilts his chin up with one of her claws.

“I expected more from you, Varian,” she says with disappointment, and the boy hates the way her tone makes him feel. “For the heir to my dear Demanitus’ legacy to just give up like this… Failing his country, his friends, his family… What a pity.”

“I—” Varian tries to protest, but he can’t. Because she’s right. He’s let everyone down. He hides his face in his knees. “I know.”

Varian curls tighter in on himself when one of the demon's tentacles smooths back his hair in some odd attempt to soothe him. “There _is_ still a way you can save her, you know,” she says to him, and he raises his head just enough to look at her over his knees. “The final incantation, if the Sundrop uses it against the Moonstone’s power, all of this will go away.”

“The final incantation— But, I can’t _find_ it,” he pulls the scroll from his pack and presents it to her. “It’s not on the scroll.”

Zhan Tiri chuckles. “You never cease to amuse me, my dear boy. As brilliant as you are, you could single-handedly bring all of Corona to its knees if you simply put your mind to it, and yet you can’t solve one of the old man’s riddles?”

Varian looks at her with confusion, turning his attention back to the scroll when the symbols of the sun and moon suddenly lift themselves from the page and circle around him.

“You need to use the sun to see the sun,”

“Use the sun to see the sun? What does that even— Why are you even helping me?”

“This game of ours wouldn’t be near as fun if you give up now. Besides,” Zhan Tiri closes her claws around him, gripping him tightly and lifting him to her face. “My victory won’t be nearly as sweet unless I completely and utterly destroy you.”

The demon releases him and he plummets into the vast emptiness beneath him, the symbol of the sun shining brighter and brighter until it’s light consumes everything.

Varian jolts upright, gripping his side in pain from the sudden movement, biting his lip to keep from crying out. Something’s definitely broken. He blinks away his blurred vision and is quickly reminded of his situation as the world around him comes into focus. The sun was starting to rise over the horizon, and as he stares, the demon's words echo in the back of his head.

“Use the sun to see the sun…” he repeats, digging out the scroll and examining as best as he can with what little light he has.

He isn’t sure what exactly that was supposed to mean. But he is sure of one thing. She _wants_ him to find the incantation.

It’s daybreak in Old Corona, and Quirin lets the dog outside for her morning run. He stares at looming in the distance, no doubt the cause of the tremors from the night before. His stomach twists in a knot as he tries to ignore the urge to get his gear and investigate. He forces himself to turn away.

This doesn’t concern him anymore. He’s put this all behind him. The rocks, the Brotherhood, everything. He gave it all up the second he settled down in Old Corona.

But that fool of a king had to tamper with forces he didn’t understand. He had to take that damned flower.

But, maybe this was inevitable. The rocks would have sought out the Sunflower regardless if it had been taken or not, and if not the flower then… 

Quirin prides himself on being a brave man. He can stare death in the face without batting an eye, but he’ll _never_ forget the feeling of pure _terror_ that he felt the night his son was born and one of those cursed rocks had grown in their home.

The sound of hooves on the cobblestone pulls him back to the present and he turns to his king.

“Your Majesty,” he bows his head. He forces a smile, and despite knowing why he’s here, he asks, “What brings you here this early?”

“The girl,” Edmund begins and dismounts his horse. “She’s here in the kingdom, in that tower, and I intend to take back the stone from her before she does any more damage.”

“And you want me to help you,” Quirin sighs heavily. “Your Majesty, I’m sorry, but you know that I’ve put—”

“She has your boy, Quirin,”

Meanwhile, Rapunzel once again paces in front of her fireplace as she discusses the plan she had come up with instead of sleeping the night before.

“I have a good feeling I know where that tower is,” she says into her hand. And even if she’s wrong, it’s not like they could miss it wherever it is. “So we go to the tower, get inside, I’ll deal with Cass while you two find Varian.” She stops pacing and stands in front of them. “Sound good?”

“ _That’s_ your plan?” Eugene asks.

“I didn’t say it was a _good_ plan, but it’s our only option besides sending the entire Royal Guard in our place.”

Catalina raises her hand. “What about us? What do we do?”

Rapunzel hesitates to answer and Kiera sits up straight. “We _are_ part of the plan, right?” she asks and the princess looks to Eugene and Lance for help.

“I think it’s better if you two stay here,” Eugene answers. “Run interference with the guards and her parents.”

“What?” Catalina jumps from her seat. “No! Our friend is in trouble and you want us to just wait for you to come back?”

“Listen, if the kid had just gotten himself lost in the woods or something, you two would be the first ones we’d ask for help, but this is…” Eugene trails off. “It’s too dangerous.”

“So what! Varian helped us with Vigor when he said he could find my family,” Kiera argues.

“And he stood up against that hunter lady when she was hunting me,” Catalina adds. “It’s our turn to help him.”

Eugene goes to argue again but Kiera cuts him off. “Look, we all know how this is going to end. You’re going to say ‘it’s too dangerous for two little kids’ and we’re going to say ‘but he’s our friend and we gotta help him’. This will go on for a little while longer, and then we’ll eventually say ‘okay’, but we’ll just follow you anyway so isn’t it just easier to let us come from the get-go?”

“You know she does have a point,” Lance agrees.

Eugene sighs heavily. “Okay fine. You can come, but if things start looking dangerous you two have to promise you’ll be careful and won’t get hurt.”

The two girls put their right hands over their hearts and raise their left hands. “We promise!”

“That’s right,” Lance nods. “We barely stood a chance against her last night, and if she has control over the rocks now, then…”

He trails off, frowning deeply and Rapunzel smoothes her hair back. 

“Look, I know Cassandra’s dangerous, but… She’s still our…” she pauses and looks away from them. The word ‘friend’ was at the tip of her tongue, but… That doesn’t feel right anymore. What kind of a friend would attack you, steal from you, and kidnap one of your loved ones? She takes a breath. 

“Somewhere inside, Cassandra _knows_ this isn’t right. There’s still good in her. I know there is, and I _don’t_ want to fight her. I just… I need to _talk_ to her.”

“But what if she won’t talk to you, Rapunzel?” Eugene asks quietly. He wants to be like Rapunzel and believe that there’s still good in Cassandra, that somewhere in that icy heart of hers she’s still the young woman he’d come to consider family. He really does, but… He just has a harder time seeing it. “What if she backs you into a corner and you have no choice but to fight her? What then?”

Rapunzel hugs herself, turning to the window and staring at the tower. “I’ll just have to cross that bridge if I get there.”

The tower looms over the forest, casting a long dark shadow across the ground as it blocks out the morning sun. Eden gazes up at it as she steadily draws closer to the structure.

She could practically hear Quirin’s voice now— telling her to stay away and not get involved with the rocks or the Moonstone. He warned her about it just before she left for the capital, giving her a brief rundown of things and how dangerous they were. But, she’s never been one for doing as she’s told and there’s not a doubt in her mind that’s where her daughter is. 

Call it what you will, gut instinct, mother's intuition, what have you, but she knows she’s there and by the Sun she is going to talk to her.

“Didn’t I tell you to let me handle this?”

She turns around to the captain of the guard and smiles kindly at him. “When have you ever known me to listen to you?” her smile falters when she sees the cuffs on his hip. She glances around for other guards, only to find he was alone. One would think he would have brought some of the guards to aid him, but… “Are you doing this as the captain of the guard or her father?” He doesn’t answer her and she frowns. “Roy—”

“I don’t want to,” he says quietly, standing at her side. “But I don’t have any other choice. She’s gone too far.”

“Gone too far?”

“Cassandra has committed an act of treason. Not only has she stolen from the princess, but she’s taken one of her friends' hostage as well,” he explains, his gaze turning to the tower. A heavy sigh escaping him. “I can’t let her get away with this just because she’s my daughter.”

Eden studies his face; he wears a deep frown and she can see the uncertainty in his eyes. Her lips press into a fine line. He won’t be able to bring himself to arrest her. She can see it all over his face. And even if he _can_ bring himself to do it, she’s certain that if Cassandra’s picked up anything from him, she’s not going to go down without a fight, and fighting her is something she knows he won’t be able to bring himself to do. 

“Why don’t I go with you?” she offers. “I know I can’t do much, but, who knows, I may be able to talk her down.”

“Eden, it’s too dangerous. _She’s_ dangerous.”

A bitter smile plays on the woman's face and she rubs at her neck. “I know. But she’s still my daughter, and… I have to at least try to help her somehow.” She looks at him and shifts her satchel and he hears something made of glass clink together inside. “Besides, the hostage could be hurt and need immediate care.”

“Well, you do have a point,” he sighs in defeat. “Knowing you, regardless of what I say you're going to go anyway, so I suppose it's easier to just say yes." He looks at her and she gives him a small smile. "Just… Be on your guard, there’s no telling what she’ll do.”

They both turn to face the tower, and Eden tightly grips the strap of her satchel. “If the past twenty years has taught me anything it’s how to be on my guard.”

Rapunzel pulls back the curtain of ivy hiding the grotto where her tower once stood. Her breath catches in her throat at the sight of the black rock tower that now stands in its place. It’s much bigger than she could have possibly imagined. Taller than her tower ever was.

She leads her group to the base of the tower, and they gaze up at it in awe. “It’s huge,” she hears Eugene say. “But why here?”

Her eyes fall on one of her old paintings, so she gets on her knees and picks it up. “Cass says I took everything from her, so she’s planning on taking everything from me.”

Lance scans the base of the tower for an entrance, looking up and down as far as he could see. “How do we get in? The only entrance is a good two… Maybe three hundred feet up and…” he touches the rockface. “This is too smooth to climb.”

“Max,” Eugene turns to the horse. “Go check around back for a way in.”

“No need,” the group turns their attention to the sudden voice, a large smile blossoming across Lance’s face. “There’s no way in. Not from down here, anyway.”

“Adira!”

Rapunzel stands as Adira and Hector join them at the base of the tower. She smiles. “It’s great to see you both again,”

“Likewise,”

They turn their attention back to the tower. “So, that’s the only entrance, huh?” Rapunzel asks.

“And I thought your tower was hard to climb,” Eugene mumbles rubbing the back of his neck. “How are we supposed to get up there?”

“A really long rope?” Kiera suggests, arms crossed.

“Or maybe you can put glue on your hands and climb fast before it dries?” Catalina adds. Her eyes light up suddenly. “Oh! I know! A catapult!”

“Yeah!” her sister eagerly agrees. “We can use a tree!”

Adira chuckles. “I like them,”

“That isn’t a bad idea,” Hector says with a hand to his chin, and the two girls grin. “But you’ll need a pretty tall tree to reach that height.”

“Don’t encourage them!” Eugene sputters. “We are _not_ doing that!”

“It’s the only idea we got,” Hector argues. “Unless you have something else in mind?”

Eugene goes to answer but stops himself. He does not have a better idea. He has none. He looks to Rapunzel, frowning deeply when he sees her with her hair down, clutching long strands of it in both her hands while staring up at the tower.

“Blondie,” he walks up to her. “We’ll find a way inside.”

“What about the kid’s balloon?” Lance suggests. “One of us could run to Old Corona and grab it, and then we can just sail up there easy peasy.”

“I’m afraid that won’t work,” the group turns their attention to Quirin as he and Edmund approach, Hector and Adira bowing before their king. “Varian’s dismantled it, he said something about updating the design and how it works.”

“Okay,” Eugene sighs. “Back to square one.”

Rapunzel turns to the forest. “What was that catapult idea again?”

Eugene pops his back as he and the others make their way back to the base of the tower. They had attempted the tree catapult idea, twice, and both attempts had failed, and if not for a skillfully placed net by Kiera and Catalina they wouldn’t be able to stand.

“Well, that didn’t work at all,” he says. He glances at Hector. “And you… You had a little too much fun launching us in the air.”

Hector says nothing, but Eugene catches the smug grin that tugs at his lips.

Maximus nickers as they arrive at the tower where Edmund, Quirin, and Adira wait for them. Eugene comes to a stop when he sees the captain. There’s a woman with him.

“I told you to stay away from the rocks,” Quirin says to the woman, almost angrily. “You have no idea what they’re capable of.”

“I know, I know,” she admits. “But she’s in there and I’m here to take _your_ advice and try to make things right!”

“Captain?” Eugene clears his throat, and the man looks away from the argument. “What are you doing here?” He spots the handcuffs and subconsciously rubs his wrist. Then it clicks.

He’s here to arrest Cassandra.

“Did my father send you?” Rapunzel asks.

“No, Princess, I’m here of my own accord.”

Lance snickers. “And you brought your girlfriend with you?” He asks, and it puts an end to the argument, the woman turning around to face him and taking Rapunzel off guard by how much she looks like Cassandra. “Not a very romantic date now is it?”

The captain’s eyebrow twitches with annoyance. “This is a dear friend of mine, and Cassandra’s mother, Eden.”

There’s a stunned silence amongst the group, Lance and Eugene sharing a look as Rapunzel takes a step forward.

“Mother?” Rapunzel approaches her. “You’re Cassandra’s mother? But… But I thought you were…” she trails off and shakes her head. “You can help us reason with her, right?”

“That’s why I’m here,” she nods. “Well, I’m here to try at least.”

Rapunzel smiles at her, turning her attention back to the tower. “So,” she puts her hands on her hips. “Anyone else got any more ideas?”

“A giant slingshot!” Kiera suggests and her sister bounces excitedly beside her. Eugene and Quirin sigh.

“No,”

High above them, Cassandra is perched on a window sill, watching them. She leans against the frame, eyes narrowing. While she had thoroughly enjoyed watching their attempts to launch themselves into her tower… There are more people than she expected. She expected Rapunzel and the others, well, she wasn’t expecting them to bring two children, and she had been expecting Quirin, and maybe even her father, but everyone else… She hadn’t anticipated it. Least of all her mother. She was the last person she wanted to see right now.

“Let them in,” Zhan Tiri orders, pulling her from her thoughts.

“What?”

“You may have the scroll, the boy, and her tower, but it’s not enough. You have to take away who she is, force her to fight you, and break her spirit,” Cassandra feels uneasy as the demon’s grin becomes twisted with each word. “You’ve held back long enough, my dear. Now, let them in so you can finish this once and for all.”

Cassandra turns her gaze back to the ground below and lets out a sigh. “Fine.” 

Rapunzel finds herself growing impatient as they once again bounce ideas around. The slingshot was on the back burner, just in case nothing else worked.

She approaches the tower, touching the rock face. “Come on, Cass,” she pleads. “Let us in…”

As if Cassandra could hear her from wherever she is inside the tower, a large crack splits up the middle of the tower, creating an opening for her.

Rapunzel swallows and wordlessly looks back at the party. She takes a breath and steps inside, the others following close behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *bangs fists on the table* Why wasn't Quirin and the Captain involved at all in Cassandra's Revenge???? Why wasn't the Captain told about Cassandra's arrival? Why wasn't Quirin told his son was kidnapped? For a show that likes to go on about fatherly love (mostly Fredrics to excuse the shady shit he's done), it's weird that they left out the fathers of two important characters of this episode.
> 
> Also, I really wanted Adira to meet the girls in the cartoon and I feel like they would have a fun dynamic.


	17. Chapter XVII: Let Hope Ignite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel confronts Cassandra

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Mario Voice* Let's go!
> 
> Just a heads up, this chapter references rewrites of Painters Block and the Quest for Varian, so... Yeah. *finger guns*

The rock floor is cold beneath Rapunzel’s feet as she and the others venture further inside the foyer. Black rocks jut out from the ground, the walls, and the ceiling above them at every angle, and remnants of her tower are scattered about, trapped by the rocks or lying broken on the floor.

The party comes to a standstill in the foyer. Various staircases lead in different directions, and there was no telling which one would lead them to Cassandra or Varian.

“Which way do we go?” Lance asks quietly, and Maximus and Ruddiger sniff at the air.

Eugene hums into his hand as he eyes each of the paths laid out before them. He has to hand it to her, this is an excellent way to turn people around and confuse them. Even _Flynn Rider_ would see all these different paths would decide whatever lies at the end of the correct one wouldn’t be worth the trouble.

But unfortunately for her, Flynn Rider is dead and gone, and Eugene Fitzherbert won’t be deterred so easily.

“We’ll cover more ground if we split up,” he says a moment later, turning back to the group. “Rapunzel and I will take the middle path. Dad, you and Quirin take the far left, Adira and Hector will take the one next to it. Cap, you and your lady friend will take that tunnel, and Lance, you, the girls, Max and Ruddiger take the far right.”

“And what happens when we find the girl?” Edmund asks.

“Dad, I know you and your men are here for the Moonstone, and I know that out of everyone in this room, the four of you are the only ones that can stand a chance against Cassandra and the rocks, but, you can’t just charge at her. We don’t know what she’s willing to do, or how far she’s willing to go to keep the Moonstone.”

“If she gives us no choice we will fight her, son.”

The captain goes to speak, but the younger man cuts him off before he can. “Dad, charging at Cassandra swinging your ax is only going to make things worse,” he says. “She has Varian and I don’t trust her not to hurt him to get you to back off.”

“Guys, this is _Cassandra_ we’re talking about!” Rapunzel says. “Not some… Some monster!”

A heavy silence fills the foyer as everyone looks amongst themselves. Adira puts a heavy hand on Hector’s shoulder, keeping him in place when he goes to leave down their assigned path. No one dares to speak, nor do they dare to voice the princess’ worst fear.

“Princess,” the young woman turns to Cassandra’s mother when she breaks the silence, the elder nervously fiddling with her bag. “I… I may not know Cassandra as well as you, but…” she pauses, sucking in a breath. “Fighting her may be the only way _to_ make her listen.”

Rapunzel frowns. It’s always been at the back of her mind. That fighting Cassandra would be the only way to get through to her. But that doesn’t mean she can’t at least try to avoid it. She takes a breath.

“I want to _talk_ to her,” she says, turning to face the group. “ _No one_ will be attacking anyone unless it’s absolutely necessary. Do I make myself clear?”

Quirin sighs. “I don’t want to fight her either, Princess, but if she has done anything to hurt my son, then…” he trails off, locking eyes with the woman behind her before turning away. “I’ll take whatever punishment you see fit.”

Rapunzel’s hands are clammy as she and Eugene venture down the path before them. She wants so badly to believe that Cassandra wouldn’t have hurt Varian. But… She looks around her, a stone settling in her stomach. She knows he wouldn’t have given her the incantation willingly.

Pascal chirps at her from her shoulder, and Eugene takes her hand, giving it a squeeze.

“It’ll be okay, Blondie,” he tells her. “Everything will be alright, we’ll get Varian back, we’ll talk to Cass, and who knows! Maybe we’ll even get the Moonstone back and put an end to all of this for good!”

Rapunzel gives a halfhearted smile. “Yeah, maybe…”

Eugene frowns as a tense silence fills the air between them. He links their fingers together as they walk. 

He hopes they get to Cassandra first. He doesn’t trust his father not to act irrationally, and even if Quirin is the only man alive able to keep him from doing something rash, if Cassandra _has_ hurt Varian then all bets are off. And then there’s Hector and Adira. He’s positive that Adira would only attack her if necessary. Out of all of them, she seems to be the one most likely to try and reason with Cassandra. But Hector… It’s anyone’s guess what he’d do if they find her first.

The couple soon comes to what once was the only entrance to Rapunzel’s lonely tower. Eugene hoists himself up first and then helps Rapunzel through the opening, and onto the other side. He glances around, feeling uneasy.

“This is too easy,” she says, voicing his suspicions. “We could be walking into a trap.”

Pascal chirps from her shoulder, hopping onto one of the rocks and changing his color to blend in. “Good idea, Pascal,” Eugene praises him, and Rapunzel catches him when he jumps down from the rock.

“You’ll be careful?” she asks and the chameleon nods, giving her a thumbs up. She smiles and kisses his head before setting him down. “We’re counting on you, Pascal.”

They watch as the chameleon hops up the staircase, blending in with his surroundings and vanishing from sight. Rapunzel takes Eugene’s hand again. 

Now they wait.

Varian stares intently at the scroll, reading it over and over again for anything to help him make sense of Zhan Tiri’s cryptic hint.

“Use the sun to see the sun,” he mutters for the umpteenth time. He groans with annoyance, tossing both his goggles and the scroll to the side, both of them caught on the bars of the cage. “One of Vigor’s fortunes would be more helpful.”

He leans back, whimpering in pain and he grips his side again. It hurts to breathe, and he honestly can’t wait for his father to put him on strict bed rest once this is over.

Varian stares at nothing, letting his mind wander. Try as he might to find some way to distract himself, either by thinking of different alchemical formulas or different contraptions he could build, but his mind keeps going back to what Cassandra had said last night. That they were siblings and their mother had left both of them.

He really isn’t sure how he feels about all of this— his mother being alive. The fact he has an older sister. That sister being Cassandra. It’s not the worst thing in the world. He’s always looked up to and admired her, so it could be worse. But, if his father had known his- their?- mother was still alive, did he know about this too? For that matter, why did their mother leave them in the first place? He knew that she had been arrested the night Rapunzel was taken, but, that was four years before he was born, so there has to be more to it than that. He’s bursting at the seams with questions and he needs answers.

He groans again. He really should have read the letter. He’s sure there’s some sort of explanation in it. There has to be.

Slowly, he sits up and reaches for his pack to fish it out, but then he remembers he dropped it inside the tower. He sighs, putting a hand in his hair, and something catches his eye.

A beam of sunlight reflects off the lens of his goggles, shining onto the scroll and revealing hidden text. His eyes widen, and he turns to the late afternoon sun.

“Use the sun to see the sun—” he grins turning back to the scroll. He ignores the pain in his chest and inches closer to the bars. “Demanitus, you genius!”

The path Eugene had assigned the captain and Eden was one with many twists and turns, and with no end in sight. The captain’s eyes are fixed on the path ahead of them as he and Eden make their way around yet another corner and past a jagged rock with two points. The same jagged rock with two points they’ve passed two times before. He heaves a heavy sigh.

“We’re going in circles,” he says, coming to a halt. “Let’s head back to the entrance and try another path.”

The pair doubles back, making their way back the way they came down the twisting and turning path. He glances at her from the corner of his eye, frowning when he sees an all too familiar look on her face.

“Are you alright?” he asks her, once again coming to a halt. “You’re being unusually quiet.”

“Am I?”

“You talk when you’re nervous,” The captain points out. “You’d always get us caught when we were sneaking around.” Eden hums in response, tightly gripping the strap of her bag to the point her knuckles are white. The captain’s frown deepens and he puts a hand on her shoulder. “Eden, if you don’t think you can do this, I’m sure the others will understand—”

“No, that’s not it,” she cuts him off. “It’s just… I’m just thinking about how all of this could have been avoided if I had listened to you.”

“To be fair, a lot of things could have been avoided if you had listened to me,” The captain smiles when she elbows him in the side, only to hit his chest plate and wince in pain. “But,” he continues while she rubs her elbow. “While I don’t know if any of us would be here now, I do know that Cassandra is a grown woman, and no one’s making her do any of this. She’s doing this on her own accord, and while she can try to pin the blame on you, me, or even the princess, at the end of the day, she’s the only one responsible for her actions.”

With that, the pair fall silent and continue down the path. Eden fixes her gaze on the floor. 

The idea that Cassandra would hurt Varian in her anger had been nagging at the back of her mind since the night they spoke. Quirin had been able to ease her worries by telling her Varian was safe. That he was working in someplace only he and the princess knew of. 

But Cassandra’s taken him hostage and that nagging little voice is front and center in her mind again.

“You don’t think Cassandra would hurt him, do you?” she asks a moment later. “V-Varian, I mean.”

The captain lets out a deep sigh. “If you had asked me that a year ago I would have said ‘no’ because I knew then she would never hurt him,” he begins, his mind wandering back to the expo, and how Cassandra had chosen her friendship with Varian over her duties as a guard. How when the boy was living at the castle, he would often catch them doing chores together as ‘co-ladies in waiting’ while the boy would ramble on about an invention of his. How she had been the first one to notice something was off about him when people around Corona started to go missing, and how quick she had been to protect him when he and his men had cornered him for the grapthyc. But so much has happened since then, and now he has a hard time recognizing her. 

“Now I… I don’t know for sure that she won’t.”

Lance guides the girls and the animals through one of the tunnels, doing his level best to cut through the tension by telling stories of his youth, but he knows they aren’t paying attention. They want to help save Varian, and he understands. Really he does. He _saw_ her take him for crying out loud! He saw it and he wasn’t able to do anything to stop her! It’s just as frustrating for him as it is for them, but… It’s too dangerous for them to get involved.

Glancing over his shoulder, he can see the clear annoyance on all of their faces. Angry has her arms crossed with a scowl on her face, Catalina’s hands are stuffed in her pockets, and Maximus has his ears pinned back with his head lowered while Ruddiger’s tail lashes from side to side like an agitated cat.

“Do you even know where we’re going?” Angry demands.

“Of course I do! A seasoned thief _instinctively_ knows his way around unfamiliar territory,” he explains, trying to keep his voice steady. The last thing he needs is for them to realize he’s leading them the wrong way deliberately. “It’s a keen sense one develops after many years.”

“Then why are we back at the entrance?” Catalina deadpans.

Lance hums, and peers outside. The sun was starting to set. “Because it’s important to know all escape routes should you get caught. Now,” he turns to a random tunnel. “Let’s carry on to the correct—”

Maximus whinnies, cutting him off and marching over to the path Rapunzel and Eugene had taken. Lance scoffs. “I don’t care what you smell, the right path is this way!”

The girls watch with annoyance as the man and the horse begin arguing about the correct path. Catalina nudges her sister with her elbow when she sees Ruddiger sniff the air, the raccoon hopping down from Maximus’ saddle and hurrying down one of the tunnels. They look at each other, back at Lance and Maximus, and then follow after him.

Kiera and Catalina hurry up the path, following Ruddiger who had taken off after catching someone’s scent. The raccoon leads them through the winding corridors only to skid to a halt when they come to another fork in the road. Catalina picks him up, holding him to her chest as he sniffs at the air.

“Uh, let’s try… This one,” Kiera takes a step forward, only to be held back by a firm hand on the shoulder.

They turn to Quirin and Edmund, the former giving them a stern look, the kind of look most adults give to children when they catch them doing something they probably shouldn’t, and they smile sheepishly at him.

“What are you two doing?” he demands. “You’re supposed to be with your friend, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, but he’s just leading us in circles!” Kiera says, exasperated. 

“Ruddiger ran off, and we figured he knew where to go, so we followed him,” Catalina explains as the raccoon chitters in her arms.

“You need to leave,” he insists “This is no place for children.”

“We’re more than capable of taking care of ourselves!” Kiera argues. “You’ve been teaching us how to sword fight and Catalina has her wolf powers, we’ll be fine!”

Quirin sighs and crouches down so he’s eye level with the girls. “What was the first thing I taught you?”

“Not to run blindly into a fight, but—”

“Listen, I understand that you two want to help, but this is too dangerous for what little training you have under your belts. Not only that but you’re too young to be involved with something like this,”

“It would seem Quirin’s forgotten that we were younger than these girls when we started our training,” Edmund mumbles to himself and Quirin represses a sigh.

He looks back to the girls, frowning deeply when they stare at him expectantly. The look in their eyes wasn't at all like when they asked him to train them. It wasn’t the childish want that often led to puppy dog eyes, it was a look of determination that told him they weren’t going to give up regardless of what he said. They’ll just follow them or sneak around and get themselves hurt. Which is likely the reason they’re even here in the first place.

“Alright,” he heaves a sigh, and the two perk up. “But, you two aren’t to leave my side, and the second there’s a sign of a fight you are to hide and stay out of it, do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir,” they say in unison. 

He’s satisfied with their answer and he stands upright. It’s not ideal, but at least he can keep an eye on them. Ruddiger suddenly chitters and wiggles out of Catalina’s arms and runs off. 

Quirin and Edmund share a look before following the animal, the two sisters following close behind.

Rapunzel sits on the windowsill, waiting for Pascal to return while idly swinging her feet. She stares at the stairs he vanished on, tapping her fingers against her cheek as she feels herself growing impatient.

“This is taking too long,” she says, jumping down. “I’m going after him.”

“Rapunzel,” Eugene catches her wrist and she looks at him. “What if you can’t convince her to come back?” he brushes a strand of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. “I don’t want to fight her either, but… What if her mother is right? What if that’s the only way to make her listen?”

Rapunzel doesn’t answer him straight away. Her frying pan weighs heavily in her bag, and the thought of having no other choice than to fight Cassandra weighs heavily on her mind. She looks at him with a strained smile.

“She’ll come around,” she says. “I have to believe that,”

Eugene forces a smile. “Well, if you believe it, then so do I.”

The couple ventures up the stairs, following its many twists and turns, avoiding paths that lead down or in another direction and keep heading towards the top. When they finally reach the top of the stairs, they’re in a large room, empty except for the various rocks and the throne in the center of the room.

“Pascal?” Rapunzel calls out in a quiet tone. “Where are you?”

Eugene’s eyes dart around the room in search of Pascal, coming to an abrupt halt and his heart stops beating in his chest when he spots a cage a good fifty feet out, and a good couple hundred feet in the air. He approaches the opening, and anger rise in his chest when he spots Varian trapped inside it.

She locked him in a _cage._ She locked his _little brother_ in a _cage._

He hears Rapunzel gasp at his side and feels her fingers dig into his jacket, and his anger subsides just enough for him to dig out his lock picking tool. Old habits die hard.

“D-Don’t worry, Varian!” Rapunzel calls. “We’re going to get you out of there!”

It takes a moment but Varian soon responds with, “Not now!” confusing the couple.

“Not now— Varian, you are in a _cage_ , what do you mean _not now?!_ ” Eugene calls back.

“I mean, I’ve found the fourth incantation! It’s hidden with a type of photoreactive ink! It was so obvious!”

Eugene drags his hand down his face. “I swear this kid is giving me grey hairs…” he mumbles into his hand.

“But the problem is I need a concentrated beam of sunlight to see it! I’ve tried my goggles but they’re too scratched up, and all my vials are gone… I need something else! Like a- a prism, or a glass!”

“Or…” Rapunzel catches Eugene’s attention as she pulls something from her bag. “A crystal?”

Eugene’s heart flutters at the sight of the ring between her finger and thumb. “Is that a…?”

Rapunzel smiles at him and looks at the ring. “Yeah,”

The anger he had been feeling just moments ago is washed away and replaced with an overwhelming adoration for the woman before him. She was going to ask him to marry her? Someone like _her_ was going to ask someone like _him_ to marry her? “For me?” First, she throws him his first-ever birthday party, and now this? She never ceases to amaze him.

The tower shakes before she could respond and the princess nearly drops the ring, but luckily Eugene catches it. “She knows we’re here,” she says. “You get the ring to Varian,” she closes his fist around it. “I’ll go find Pascal.”

“Rapunzel,” Eugene stops her. He kisses her quickly on the forehead. “Be careful.”

“This is your fault, you know,” Lance grumbles as he follows Maximus up a flight of stairs. “If you had just played along and gone the way I said they wouldn’t have wandered off!”

Maximus huffs a breath, ears pinning back, but he doesn’t deny it. Even though he probably should, since Lance didn’t _tell_ him he was leading them in circles on purpose to keep the girls away from any potential danger. But he _was_ the one to start arguing with him over which path to take, leading to the girls and that blasted raccoon to wander off. The horse raises his head when they enter a large room with nothing but a large stone structure in the center. He sniffs the air, letting out a low nicker when he spots the captain and the woman he was with crouched behind a cluster of rocks near another entrance to the room.

Lance looks around the room. He takes a step forward but he’s pulled back by the back of his shirt. He whirls around, facing Adira who signals for him to be quiet. He does another quick scan around the room, somewhat relieved when he finds the girls huddled behind a cluster of rocks with Quirin and Edmund. He and the village leader lock eyes and he nods to him before settling down behind the rocks with Hector and Adira.

“Pascal?” Rapunzel’s voice rings out echoing off the walls. “Pascal, where are you?”

The tower shakes again and a hole opens in the floor before the princess. Cassandra rises from it upon a pillar of the rocks and stares down at her with indifference.

“He’s here,” she says, and sure enough, the young woman has the princess’ best friend in her palm, surrounded by a small cage made of the rocks from her armor.

Rapunzel watches cautiously as Cassandra bends down, lowering her hand to the floor and removing the cage, allowing the chameleon to run into Rapunzel’s waiting hands. The princess pulls him close, welcoming his gentle nuzzles.

“You made a mistake coming here,” Cassandra says and Rapunzel raises her head to look at her.

Behind the throne, the princess can see the entire party has gathered, each of them waiting for the moment to strike. She locks eyes with the captain, silently pleading with him to let her at least _try_ to talk to Cassandra, and thankfully, he nods, raising a hand to keep the others at bay.

Standing tall, the princess turns her full attention to Cassandra. “Cass, I am not leaving this tower until this is resolved.”

Cassandra smirks and the tower shakes again as every window and every exit to the room is sealed shut by the black rocks. “Then I guess you’re not leaving.”

Outside, Varian watches anxiously from his prison as Eugene closes the distance between them. The bridge was narrow, he knows that, and all it will take is one strong gust of wind to blow him over the edge. He glances behind him, watching as the sun sets over the horizon. 

“Come on!” he urges, turning back to the other. “We don’t have much time!”

“Kid, I am going as fast as I can!” The tower shakes and Eugene wobbles, windmilling his arms to keep balance. Once he’s sure he’s got as much stable footing as he can get, he looks back to Varian with a forced grin. “I would like to live to be twenty-seven, you know!” 

Eugene lets out a breath he wasn’t aware he had been holding when he finally reaches the cage, and carefully he sits down on the bridge, one leg hanging over each side. He passes Varian the ring and watches as the boy immediately gets to work.

A beam of sunlight shines through the gemstone and onto the back of the scroll, revealing the text hidden on it. Varian grins a wide toothy grin. “It’s working!”

“That’s my boy,”

Varian’s smile falters when his moment of triumph goes up in smoke. Literally. The scroll catches fire and he quickly tears a piece of paper from his journal, copying everything down while Eugene tries to blow out the flame. He winces in pain when the fire reaches his hand, forcing him to drop the scroll which quickly turns to ash on the wind.

“I got it,” he says, holding up the page and Eugene sighs with relief once again.

“Way to go, kid,” he searches the bars for a lock he can pick. “Now let’s find a way to get you out of here so we can all go home and—” He stops when he sees Varian slump back against them with a hand on his side as if he were in pain. “Varian, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Varian waves his other hand dismissively. 

Eugene stares, completely unconvinced. The bags under his eyes are darker than before, and now that he thinks about the kid’s paler than before, and not only that but his breathing sounds labored. His eyes are closed and there’s a clear look of discomfort on his face. He goes to say something, but his voice dies in his throat when he sees his expression twist from discomfort to pain.

“N-No! No, I’m not alright!” he admits, taking him by surprise. “M-My head hurts, I think I have a broken rib, or two, I-I can’t tell, I just know it hurts to breathe and to move, and- and C-Cass drugged me to make me give her the incantation, and when I tried talking to her she- she locked me out here, and—” he hiccups, as he struggles to fight back the tears in his eyes.

“Hey, hey,” Eugene reaches between the bars, cupping the back of his head, frowning when he feels a nasty bump beneath his hand. “It’s okay. I mean, it’s not okay right now, but it will be.” He gives him a comforting smile. “I promise.”

Varian looks at him through teary eyes and nods. He inches closer to the bars, closer to Eugene, and leans against them, the other reaching through to rub his back as best as he can.

A red hot anger bubbles in Eugene's chest. Not only did Cassandra lock his _little brother_ in a _cage_ hundreds of feet in the air, but she _drugged_ him, _and_ gave him a broken rib? Oh, he is definitely getting a swing in now once they get back inside. He looks back at the tower, frowning when he sees the entrance closed off. 

However they manage to do that.

“I really did try, ‘Gene,” Varian mumbles, and he turns back to him. Eugene frowns, the kid sounds absolutely miserable. “I-I tried to talk to her but she wouldn’t listen…”

“You know how Cass can be, she’s even more stubborn than Maximus was when he was hunting me down,” Eugene says jokingly. His attempt to lighten the mood falls flat and he gently squeezes his shoulder. “But don’t worry, Rapunzel’s going to talk to her and if she can’t get through to her, I bet her mother can.”

“Her mother…? _Cassandra’s_ mother?” the alchemist sits up, looking at Eugene with wide blue eyes. “She… She’s here?”

“Yeah, she and Cap are here to try and talk some sense into her. Your dad, my dad, Weird Shadow Lady, and Crazy Rhino Man are here too.”

Varian nods, distantly registering what he said, and turns to stare at the darkening sky through the bars. Cassandra’s mother was here. _His_ mother was here, and suddenly he’s nervous, excited, and scared, all at the same time. “What, uh, what’s she like…?” he asks quietly. “C-Cassandra’s mother, I mean.”

Eugene hums. “Well, I didn’t really speak to her much, but she seems like a nice lady. Cass must get all her… _Cassandra-ness_ from her dad.” He smiles when he hears Varian give a little huff of a laugh, and he rests his chin in his palm as he leans against the cage. “She and your dad seem to know each other, too.”

Varian scoffs. “Well, I sure hope they do,” he mutters. “It’d be pretty weird if my parents _didn’t_ each other.”

Eugene hums in response. It takes him a moment to fully register what was just said and he sits up, eyes wide with surprise. “Wait a minute. You and Cassandra—” Varian nods, and Eugene settles back against the cage and looks back to the tower. “Well, I can’t say I was expecting that, but…” he turns back to him with a small smile. “All the more reason to get through her thick skull, huh?”

Varian nods, humming tiredly as he takes hold of Eugene’s hand. The older of the two frowns as the boy's eyes slip closed, and he gives his hand a squeeze. “Don’t worry, kiddo, this will all be over soon.”

Cassandra stares at the princess before her, watching with mild amusement as she unties her hair and gets into a fighting stance with her favorite frying pan. She rolls her eyes. “You do realize I have full control over the rocks now? And you know what this tower is made of?”

To answer her question, rocks emerge from the floor around them, and Rapunzel swallows hard as she tightens her grip on her frying pan. “Cass, we don’t have to do this, we can—”

“We can what? _Talk?_ ” Cassandra cuts her off. “The time for talking is over, _princess,_ ” she spats, and Rapunzel flinches back. “Besides, you know what they say…” More rocks grow around them. “Actions speak louder than words.”

Before the princess could react, a rock bursts from the ground and knocks her back several feet. Her head collides with the stone behind her, and it leaves her dazed and her vision blurry. Through her blurred vision, she can see Cassandra walk towards her.

“Cassandra!” the young woman stops in her tracks when her father calls her name. “Cassandra, stand down! That’s an order!” he barks and she scoffs, turning to him.

“You’re the one who should stand down,” she responds and draws her sword.

The captain hesitates, his grip on the hilt of his sword falters as he stares at his daughter. He has to put an end to this now. That’s the reason he came here in the first place. He came here as the captain of Corona’s royal guard to apprehend a potential threat. But now that he’s standing face to face with her, weapons drawn, he can’t move.

“Cassandra,” he lowers his weapon. “I can’t… I won’t fight you…”

Cassandra’s eyes narrow. “Then you will never be able to defend Corona.” She lunges at him only for a rope of golden hair to wrap tightly around her wrist. 

“Cass,” Rapunzel pulls her back. “Stop this—” A sharp pain shoots across her back when a sharp rock springs from the ground and slams into her, knocking her away again, this time clear across the room.

Cassandra watches as the princess falls to a heap on the floor and whirls around, her sword colliding with Adira’s. She jumps back just as Hector lunges at her from the left, sending a wave of the rocks slamming into him, and another at Adira. She jumps back again when Edmund’s battle ax slams into the floor, stumbling back when he swings it at her again. Before she has the chance to recollect herself, she’s grabbed by the forearm by Quirin. The man easily tosses her across the room, though she catches herself and skids backward.

“Nice to see you’re up and about,” she comments, rising to her feet. “For a while there it didn’t look like you’d ever get out of that amber.”

Quirin says nothing, adopting a stoic demeanor. His expression is hard, and she knows she isn’t looking at the calm and collected village head of Old Corona, but rather a hardened warrior with who knows how many years of combat under his belt.

Edmund steps forward and points his ax at her as Hector and Adira collect themselves. “I will say this only once,” he begins. “Return the Moonstone and release the boy, and I’ll leave your punishment to your king and queen.”

Cassandra laughs. “ _Punishment?_ Punishment for _what?_ Going after my destiny?” The Moonstone flashes and rocks grow at her feet. “Don’t make me laugh.”

Zhan Tiri manifests at her side and smiles. “Show them how powerful you’ve become.”

Rapunzel winces in pain as she sits up with some help from Lance. She puts a hand to her head, and blinks her vision back into focus, as she waits for her ears to stop ringing. The tower shakes under them, and he holds her tight, and they both look to the center of the room.

King Edmund and his men are fully engaged in combat with Cassandra, throwing everything they have at her and Rapunzel watches in awe. She had seen Edmund fight with his all. They had fought him back at the Dark Kingdom, and if it weren’t for Eugene getting through to him, then they probably wouldn’t be here now. Her fingers dig into Lance’s sleeve as the king just barely misses Cassandra’s head with his ax, the weapon shattering when it collides with the wall of stone, and he draws his sword.

She watches, feeling helpless as Adira leaps into the air, and swings down her sword, only for it to meet the same fate as Edmund’s ax when the blade collides on the stone floor when Cassandra rolls away, locking blades with Hector briefly before sending him flying with a wave of black rocks.

Even Quirin, who hadn’t seen battle in a quarter-century, was fighting with as much ferocity as his brother, fueled by the desire to rescue his son. But, he’s holding back. Rapunzel can see it. He doesn’t want to hurt Cassandra. 

Cassandra’s lungs burn as she struggles to keep up with them. She can feel her movements getting sluggish, and if she’s too slow it’s all over. She lets out a frustrated cry and the tower shakes again as wave after wave of black rocks rush at them, too many for the Brothers to dodge, and knocks them all several feet back.

She summons more of the rocks to keep them in place, pinning them to the floor and walls. She runs a hand through her hair and struggles to catch her breath. All of Corona’s guards were nothing compared to the four of them. _She_ was nothing compared to even one of them, and even with the rocks under her control, her skillset is only but so much.

She stiffens when she hears the telltale sound of a sword being drawn. Turning, Cassandra glares dangerously at Lance as he puts himself between her and the princess.

“Cassandra, please,” he tries. “You’re our friend—”

“Save it.” A blunt rock is fired from the ground and slams into him, knocking him away from Rapunzel. He slumps to the ground.

“Lance!” an unfamiliar voice cries, and Cassandra’s taken aback when not only do a little girl with a knife, but a wolf-like creature put themselves between her and the man.

Shaking her head, Cassandra quickly forms a cage around them, earning a confused whimper from the beast as they both huddle closer to Lance. She hears hooves next, and another cage is formed, trapping both Maximus and her father together.

“Cassandra!” she freezes and turns to her mother on the other side of the room. “Cassandra, stop this! Please, this isn’t who you are!”

“How would you know?!” Cassandra demands, the Moonstone flashing brightly. “You don’t know me at all!” Ignoring Rapunzel’s protests she pins her mother to a nearby wall with the rocks, one bursting from the ground and stopping just short of piercing her throat.

“But I do!” Rapunzel’s hair tightly secures itself around her wrist. “Cass, _please,_ this isn’t you!”

Cassandra jerks herself free. “ _You_ don’t get to tell me who I am!”

The tower shakes and sharp rocks descend from the ceiling, nearly impaling the princess. She runs from them, nearly losing her footing as she does. Her hair catches on one of the rocks growing from the floor, and Cassandra uses this to pin her to the wall. Pain shoots through her head when it collides with the stone again, and she feels a warm trickle run down her brow, but she ignores it and looks down at her former friend.

“Cass,” she breathes heavily, ignoring the way her vision blurs again. “I will never stop trying to get through to you. I want to help you with this, not fight you, and no matter what you do to me, _nothing_ will ever change that! Do you hear me? _Nothing!_ ”

Cassandra looks away from her, gritting her teeth. She’s right. Cassandra could break every bone in her body, she could leave her half-dead on the floor, and she still wouldn’t fight back. No matter what she did to her, she would take it. But she _needs_ her to fight back. She needs her to so she can fulfill her destiny. She smirks and turns back to her. There has to be _something_ that will make her fight. Then it hits her and she smirks up at the princess.

“Nothing will change that, huh? I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

Eugene sits upright when the bridge he’s sitting on suddenly starts moving. The sudden movement startles Varian awake, and the two share a look as they get closer to the tower.

“Eugene?” Varian looks at him, and Eugene carefully stands, his grip on his hand tightening.

“I gotcha.”

Eugene glares at Cassandra as she pulls them inside. He does a quick scan of the room; the members of the Brotherhood are trapped by the rocks, Cassandra’s mother is pinned to a wall with a rock at her throat keeping her there, Lance and the girls -what are they doing here?- are trapped in a cage made of the rocks, and so are the captain and Maximus. He looks to where Rapunzel is pinned to the wall by her hair above them, and he swallows hard before turning back to Cassandra.

“Welcome back boys,” she greets them. “Let me help you out.” As she says this, a wave of rocks rushes towards him, only for one to tightly coil around him.

“You’re right, no matter what I do to you, you’ll never fight me,” Cassandra addresses the princess, sauntering over to Eugene. She grabs him by the chin and forces him to look at the princess. “But you’ll fight for him.”

“Horace!” Edmund chokes from where he’s trapped amongst the rocks. “Unhand him!”

Rapunzel _glares_ at her. “Cass, leave him alone,” she warns.

“Yes!” Zhan Tiri praises her as she manifests. “Break her spirit!”

“I just realized I never gave you _my_ birthday present, Eugene,” Cassandra tightly closes her fist, and the rock fist around Eugene tightens, crushing him painfully.

“Cassandra—” he wheezes. “Cassandra _listen_ to me! It’s _okay_ to be angry!” the rocks around him stop crushing him and she looks at him with uncertainty. “Look, I _get_ it! You’re angry, you're hurt, you feel like everything you knew about yourself is wrong and you're desperate to figure out who you are, right?”

“I—”

“I understand, Cass, believe me, I do,” he continues. “I’m trying to figure out who I’m supposed to be too, and while I know you and I have never seen eye to eye on, well, anything, I think we both know that _this,_ ” he pauses nodding his head to the room. “Hurting people who have done nothing to you, isn’t the way to do it.”

Cassandra lowers her arm and stares at him, heart pounding in her chest. She glances around the room; nearly everyone was bloodied and bruised, and all of them were looking at her, waiting for her to make her next move.

“Don’t listen to him, Cassandra!” Zhan Tiri manifests behind her, a near desperate tone to her voice. “Your destiny is within your grasp, now take it!”

“I don’t—” She hesitates. What happens when she has the Sundrop and Moonstone at her disposal? What does she do then? Will it even be worth all of this? Hurting her friends, her family, her home… Hurting _Rapunzel?_

Zhan Tiri watches as Cassandra’s resolve fades away, as the rage she had so carefully kept aflame within her started to die out because of a few sweet words of understanding from a pathetic excuse of a prince. She can feel her form waver, her own rage causing the façade she’s kept until now to crack, revealing more of her true demonic form.

A growl rumbles in her throat. She’s come too far to let the girl’s doubts get in the way now.

“You’ve left me no choice, Cassandra,” she says, her voice much deeper, more mature, than what it has been when speaking to her and taking her by surprise. “But I’m afraid it’s time for ‘Plan B’.”

Cassandra looks at her with confusion and the demon smiles. “Don’t worry dear, it’s only temporary,”

Rapunzel’s heart races as she stares at Cassandra. She opens her mouth to say something, but her voice dies in her throat when the swords woman's hands suddenly fly to her head. Her eyebrows pinch together in concern as she hears Cassandra talking to herself.

“W-What are you— Stop—” Cassandra tugs at her hair, stumbling back. She looks up at the princess, eyes wide. “R-Rapunzel—”

A shiver runs down Rapunzel’s spine when a bizarre green tint shines in Cassandra’s eyes.

“Cass…?”

“That’s not Cass,” Varian says, voice low and laced with anger.

Before Rapunzel could ask what he meant, a smirk grows on Cassandra’s face and she raises a hand and sounding as if she were speaking with two voices, one her own and one unfamiliar, she says, “Wither and decay—”

Rapunzel’s eyes widen, as the rocks around them turn jet black, no longer retaining their blue sheen. “Cassandra, _no!_ ”

“—End this destiny, break these earthly chains, and set the spirit free.”

Tears spring to Rapunzel’s eyes as she watches everyone trapped by the rocks grow weaker while Cassandra repeats the incantation. For a moment she swears she can see tears in the corner of her eyes.

“R-Rapunzel!” Her attention turns to Varian, the alchemist holding his head with one hand as the two streaks in his hair glow brightly and holding out a piece of paper to her with the other. “I-I have the final incantation! You have to use it!”

Pascal’s tongue grabs the paper and she quickly skims it over when he holds it for her. She hesitates, glancing around the room again, her tears spinning over as everyone goes limp. Her tears of hopeless sorrow turn into tears of rage and she looks back at the page.

“Power of the sun,” her voice trembles as she reads the incantation aloud. “Gift to me with your light,” a warmth spreads through her and her head drops, her hair falling over her face. “Shine into the dark, restore our fading sight.”

Rapunzel’s hair glows brightly like the sun and she raises her head to look at Cassandra, her eyes glowing bright gold. “Rise into the dawn, blazing star so bright!”

The princess is lifted from the wall, her golden hair flowing around her, glowing brighter and brighter, and when she spreads out her arms, she fires a shockwave of magical energy, destroying the rocks around her.

“Burn away the strife, let my hope ignite,” Rapunzel stands tall, the true might of the Sundrop flowing through her, keeping her above the ground as her hair flows behind her. “Let hope ignite.”

“Let them go, Cassandra,” she orders. Cassandra says nothing but grins at her and sends a wave of black rocks at her. “I said _let them go!_ ” She threw out her arms again, another shockwave of the Sundrop’s power destroying the rocks before they could reach her.

Another wave of rocks, larger and faster than before rush at her but stop just before they can reach her when she extends her hand. The Moonstone’s own magic bounces off the rocks before they crumble at the princess' feet.

“ _Let them go!_ ”

Cassandra’s grin widens and she sends wave after wave of black rocks at the princess, who destroys them all in turn. 

The Moonstone shines brightly, sparking dangerously as Cassandra claps her hands together. In turn, Rapunzel’s hair glows as bright as the sun as she fires another blast of energy from her palms. The two attacks collide, merging into one. For a brief moment, there’s silence before a massive shock wave of the ancient magic of sun and moon fills the tower, destroying the rocks in its path, destroying the walls of the tower, and warping reality itself.

A strong gust of wind nearly blows Pascal off the tower, but Varian catches him. The boy stumbles back, unable to stand up to the wind, and Eugene grabs him before he could topple over the edge of the tower and pulls him close. Catalina grabs onto both Lance and Kiera in her wolf form, Adira catches Ruddiger before he’s blown off the tower, and Quirin grabs onto and pulls Eden close and away from the edge.

The wind stops and everything becomes quiet. Slowly, Eugene raises his head to look for Rapunzel as the dust clears. He finds her standing in the center of the debris, her hair falling around before she too falls to the ground.

“Rapunzel!” his attention shifts to Varian when he collapses to his knees, pulling him down with him. “Kid—”

“‘M fine,” he gives him a weak smile. “R-Rapunzel needs you…”

Eugene nods and hesitantly lets him go as Pascal hops onto his shoulder. He runs up to Rapunzel, dropping to his knees and carefully cradling her head while everyone else collects themselves. “Rapunzel?”

Her eyes flutter open and she smiles at him. “Hi,”

He laughs and presses his forehead to hers. “That was…” he takes a breath. “Probably the hottest thing I have ever seen in my life.”

“Varian—” Quirin drops to his knees beside him and pulls him into his arms. He hugs him tightly, earning a pained whimper from him, causing him to loosen his hold.

“Are you alright?” another voice, both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, asks him. The boy peers over his father’s shoulder, looking up at the woman standing before him. 

Confusion washes over him. She doesn’t look like the woman in the painting… He stares at her as she rifles in her bag, searching for something before pulling out a small glass bottle. Varian pushes away from his father slightly as she gets on her knees beside them, his father turning to her as well.

“Here,” she places the bottle in his hand. “This will help with the pain.”

Varian glances from the bottle in his hands to his father who gently squeezes his shoulder and nods subtly. He turns back to the woman, staring at her again, a small smile tugging at his lips as he does.

“H-Hi…”

The woman seems taken off guard, but she smiles at him just the same. “Hi,”

Cassandra stares at the night sky, taking deep, ragged breaths as tears roll down her cheeks. One minute she was contemplating what exactly her destiny was, and then the next she’s falling off her tower. If not for quickly summoning a ledge, she would be dead right now. She stares at the stars through teary eyes.

That… That _demon_ made her use that horrible incantation. She took control of her body, took control of _her_ and used her to nearly _kill_ everyone. She puts her hands to her face and she cries.

Back at the castle, things had finally settled down after the princess and her party returned from their mission, bloodied and bruised. It’s late at night, and Pascal sleeps peacefully on his pillow while Rapunzel, unable to sleep flips through her journal as everything that has happened plays over and over again in her head.

She barely recognized Cassandra in the tower. She was unhinged, willing to hurt anyone who stood in her way. Her father, her mother, her brother… It didn’t matter who it was. But, for a brief moment, Eugene had managed to get through to her and she saw a glimmer of the old Cassandra in her, but then she…

A tear falls onto the page she was staring at, and she closes the book, wiping her eyes.

Cassandra had hurt Varian, and she was willing to kill everyone just to force her to fight her. She used that horrible incantation, knowing what it would do to everyone, and yet she… No, no that wasn’t Cassandra. It couldn’t have been. Even Varian said so. Was the Moonstone corrupting her? Edmund had said it got inside his head when he tried to destroy it, so maybe it was doing the same to her? Or was there another force at play?

A knock at her door pulls her from her thoughts and she slips out of bed. She expects either Eugene or her mother when she opens the door, but surprisingly enough she’s greeted by Varian.

“Varian? What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in the infirmary,” Her hands over, wanting badly to examine his injuries, but restrains herself to not cause him any more pain. The alchemist's injuries were far worse than her own. Two broken ribs as well as a minor concussion, and some truth serum still in his system.

“I, uh, I-I couldn’t sleep,” he says, looking away from her. Rapunzel frowns when pain flashes across his face. “The infirmary is kind of scary at night, and I-I really don’t want to be alone right now so I was wondering if I could just talk with you for a while and—”

Rapunzel takes his hand and smiles. “I don’t want to be alone right now either,” she admits. She leads him into her room and has him lie back against the mound of pillows on her bed. She lies beside him.

They stare at the ceiling together, saying nothing as the grandfather clock outside the room chimes midnight. 

“Varian?” she starts and he hums in response. “What did you mean when you said Cass wasn’t Cass?”

Varian doesn’t answer straight away, his mind drifting back to the tower. He can still see the flash of green in Cassandra’s eyes, still hear the voice of that _demon_ mixed with her own as she spoke, still feel the way it made his skin crawl and the anger he felt. “She was being controlled by Zhan Tiri,” he says finally, and Rapunzel nods, feeling a sense of relief.

She turns back to the ceiling. So it really wasn’t her using the incantation. It was an outside force, but… That outside source was an ancient, powerful demon. While it’s wonderful news that Cassandra hadn’t been ready to kill everyone and that they still have a chance to get her back, this just raises new concerns. Was Zhan Tiri still in control? Where are they now? She had wanted to look for her, but no one had the energy and it was all they could do to make their way back to the castle.

Varian pulls her away from her thoughts as he scoots closer to her, and she blindly grabs for the duvet and pulls it over them, resting her cheek on his head.

“Room for one more?” Rapunzel raises her head and smiles tiredly at Eugene as he stands in the doorway. That’s all the invitation he needs to climb into bed with them and under the covers, effectively sandwiching Varian between them. “How are you feeling, goggles?”

“Like shit,”

Eugene lets out an exaggerated gasp. “Young man, we do not _swear_ in front of _ladies,_ especially not _princesses_.”

Varian sticks his tongue out at him and settles back down against Rapunzel as the three fall quiet. Rapunzel links her fingers together with Eugene’s and starts humming her song while carding the fingers of her other hand through Varian’s hair. She stops when she feels the boy between them tremble, and she and Eugene look at one another.

“Varian—”

He shakes his head and wipes his eyes on the sleeve of the plain nightshirt he was given. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey,” Rapunzel smiles gently at him, brushing his bangs from his face. “It’s okay. Today was…” she pauses. Eugene had told her the lengths Cassandra had been willing to go to get the incantation, and he told her about what Varian had told him about his mother. About Cassandra. And then there was everything that had happened within the tower… She shakes the thought from her head and pulls Varian close. “Today was a lot.”

“Yeah,” Eugene agrees, pulls both his girlfriend and little brother into his arms. “It’s okay to cry, kid.”

Varian hiccups, carefully turning over on his side to hide his face in Rapunzel’s shoulder. The princess presses a kiss to his head as he cries into her nightdress, and Eugene rubs his shoulder.

“It’ll be alright, Varian,” Rapunzel says quietly, her own tears spilling over. Eugene carefully brushes them away with his thumb, and she leans into the touch. “We’ll get our big sister back. I promise.”

Cassandra pulls herself up onto the ledge of her tower. She’s alone, of course, she’s alone. They had all gone back to the castle. They all left, not bothering to look for her, and honestly, she doesn’t know if she can blame them. As far as they were concerned she tried to _murder_ them, so why would they care if she was okay or not? They don’t know that it wasn’t her. They don’t know that she was being controlled by that _demon._

The Moonstone sparks wildly on her chest, pulling her from her thoughts, and upon further inspection, she finds that it’s cracked and a shard is missing. That can’t be good.

Cassandra stumbles back when magic suddenly fills the air, a tear between two realities opening and quickly closing once the all too familiar form of that girl appears before her eyes. She wasn’t a ghost anymore. She was physical, no longer an eerie translucent blue. She wears a black and grey dress, her skin a sickly white, and her hair a dull purple.

Zhan Tiri sighs, adjusting her skirts. “ _Finally,_ ” she says, rolling her shoulders. “The clash of sun and moon has released me from my prison.” She looks at Cassandra with purple eyes and smiles. “Do forgive me for… _Borrowing_ your body, dear, but you left me no choice.”

“I—” Cassandra takes another step back, unable to find her voice. Her face turns hot and the Moonstone flashes, rocks growing at her feet. “You used me. All this time you’ve just been using me!”

“Perhaps. Or perhaps I’ve simply been pushing you into becoming what you were always meant to be,”

Cassandra shakes her head. “No, Varian was right, I have been letting you twist me into something I’m not,” her throat tightens. “I’ve let you turn me into the villain.”

She turns away from the demon, creating a staircase with the rocks leading down to the ground below. Zhan Tiri raises an eyebrow.

“You’re going back?” she asks, unamused. She lets out a sigh when Cassandra doesn’t answer. “Oh, very well, go back if that’s what you want. But do you honestly think they’ll forgive you for everything you’ve done?”

“You _made_ me—”

“Did I?” Zhan Tiri questions and she freezes. “Did I _make_ you steal the Moonstone? Did I _make_ you attack your father, or threaten your mother's life? Did I _make_ you kidnap the boy, hurt him, and lock him in a cage?” Tears sting Cassandra’s eyes as the demon continues. “Did I _make_ you attack everyone? Did I _make_ you attack Rapunzel?”

“I may have made you use the incantation to force the Sundrop to fight you, but your actions until that point have been your own.”

Cassandra turns back to her, trying to speak, to protest, but she can’t. She can’t say she was forced to do those things, because she wasn’t. She knows it. Zhan Tiri knows it. Rapunzel knows it. They all know it. 

“Believe me or don’t, but I am your friend, Cassandra. It doesn’t matter to me what you do to chase your destiny, only the stars know how far I’ve been willing to go to achieve mine,” Zhan Tiri says. “And You and I want the same thing, and we can get it, so long as you continue to let me help you.”

The demon turns away from her. “The choice is yours,” she continues. “Go back and be turned away for everything you’ve done, or stay with me and achieve your destiny.”

Zhan Tiri walks away from her and she looks back towards Corona, able to see the outline of the castle in the distance.

Would they even listen to her if she tried to explain? Does it even matter? She _had_ actively hurt them just moments before. She threatened Eugene’s life, sure it was an empty threat, but they didn’t know that, and it didn’t matter. Not after what she had done.

Cassandra steps away from the staircase, and the rocks sink back into the tower as the top of the tower begins repairing itself. She’s burned all her bridges. There’s no going back now.

Zhan Tiri looks back at her with a satisfied smile. “You made the right choice, Cassandra,” she says. “Now, let’s discuss our next plan of action.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would any of you believe me if I told you I wrote the fight scene while listening to a cover of Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift on loop? My friend says it's because Taylor Swift releases unbridled rage, but I dunno.
> 
> I have nothing else to say here, but uuuh, the next chapter will be something light and fun and something that I was originally gonna put in Beyond, but for one reason or another couldn't work in, so... Yeah. I'll see you then.


	18. Chapter XVIII: Night On The Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eugene and Lance take Varian out for a night on the town. They don't have much planned to do, but they certainly weren't expecting things to go this way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's better than this? Just guys being dudes.
> 
> I'm so sorry for the wait with this one, but uh.... I've been doing a lot of housework and by the time I'm done, I don't have the energy to do much of anything let alone put words together and make them eligible. I hope this was worth the wait.
> 
> So, this chapter was originally gonna be in Beyond Corona's Walls, sometime after the Great Tree Fiasco, but I had next to nothing for it outside of the boys doing something, so I cut it. But now it's here.
> 
> And it's plot relevant now instead of just pure fun. Because SOMEONE had to go and make a comment to inspire me to give this chapter an actual conflict. You know who you are.
> 
> Please enjoy.

There are few things that Varian loathes, but nothing more than being stuck in bed for days on end. Well, he’s not completely bed-bound. He does get to walk around the infirmary, but that’s about it, and his entire body is itching to do _something_. He gets bored too easily without anything to capture his attention. Books can only entertain him for so long, as he quickly reads through them. Sketching can hold his attention for a little bit longer, but he quickly gets bored with that too. The only thing that can really keep him engaged is something to tinker with, and there is absolutely nothing for him to mess with in the castle's infirmary. Sure, Rapunzel’s come by every day, each day bringing some cards or a chessboard, and Eugene would come by with snacks he raided from the kitchens and a story about his time as Flynn Rider, but when they weren’t there when he was _alone_ , is when he’s alone with his thoughts, and they’re all over the place.

Every time he’s alone, he starts thinking about what happened at the tower. He starts thinking about Cassandra and Zhan Tiri. Then he starts thinking about their mother, why she left them, and why she decided to come back now. Then he thinks about how many secrets his father’s kept from him and how many more he’s still keeping from him, even after he promised to be honest with him from now on. He has more questions than he does answers and no one’s telling him anything, and it’s driving him insane.

So, to say he’s thankful when Eugene and Lance come to visit him early in the evening is the understatement of the century.

“Hey, guys—” he goes to greet them, but Lance clamps a hand over his mouth and shushes him. Varian blinks, letting out a muffled protest when the man simply lifts him out of the bed and Eugene quickly piles his pillows and covers them with the blanket. 

Satisfied with their ruse, the two men nod at one another and quickly leave the infirmary with Varian in tow. The alchemist squirms in Lance’s grip as they hurry down the hall, or, at least he tries too, the pain in his ribs preventing him from moving around too much. So, instead, he bites his hand, yearning a yelp.

“Ow!” Lance pulls his hand away from his mouth and shakes it. He sets him down once they’re in the safety of a bedroom and rubs his hand. “Geeze, I help break you out of the infirmary, and _this_ is how you thank me?”

Varian leans on the nearby wall with one hand and presses the other to his side. “What are you talking about?” He takes a quick look around the room, recognizing it to be his room for when he needs to stay at the castle for an extended period of time. 

Eugene lazily drapes his arm around the teenager's shoulder. “Well, Lance and I figured that since you’ve been stuck in bed for the past week you deserve a little night on the town.”

“And you had to kidnap me for that… Why exactly?”

“Because that old fuddy-duddy of a physician wouldn’t have let us otherwise,” Lance explains as he rifles through the wardrobe.

“That’s right,” Eugene catches the change of clothes that’s tossed at them and hands them to Varian. “Now hurry up and get dressed so we can get out of here before she notices you’re gone.”

The second they’re outside, Varian takes the first deep breath of fresh air he’s had in over a week. The infirmary was stuffy to say the least, as the physician was very adamant about not opening any windows. He sighs in content and turns to Eugene and Lance.

“So… What are we gonna do?”

“We’re just going to see where the night leads,” Lance answers as the three begin walking down the street.

“You didn’t think of anything to do after you busted me out, did you?”

“Oh come on, goggles,” Eugene knocks their shoulders together. “The night’s still young and anything can happen!”

The trio passes by a dark alleyway, unaware of the figure looming in the shadows.

The captain is patrolling the city. It was something unusual for him, as he usually assigned some of his men or Maximus to patrol duty, but ever since the events of the tower, he’s been assisting in the patrols.

It gave him something to do. It gave him fresh air. Plus he had heard talk of a strange man looking worse for wear wandering the city, so he may as well look into it, and try to distract himself about what to do next about Cassandra.

His worst fears had come to light; that he would have to fight her to protect Corona, and yet… He couldn’t, no, he _wouldn’t_ do it. He had allowed his personal bias to cloud his judgment and instead of a criminal who had committed high treason, theft, kidnapping… He saw his daughter, and he wouldn’t fight her.

_’Then you will never be able to defend Corona.’_ the words sting as they echo in the back of his mind, but they ring true. If he can’t even bring himself to face an active threat, family or not, then how can he possibly defend his country?

He sighs heavily and runs a hand down his face. He needs a drink.

Eugene, Lance, and Varian wander down the streets of Corona, passing by the shops closing up shop for the night. Eugene was recounting one of his and Lance’s adventures from their youths.

“So, while Lance was off schmoozing with the Duchess, her granddaughter and I went to dinner, and then we—” he pauses. “We, uh,” he clears his throat, and when he speaks again his voice cracks. “We had dessert—”

“Dessert?” Varian looks at him, unamused as he raises an eyebrow. “How young do you think I am?”

“Okay, first of all, you’re like… Nine, and second of all, we _did_ actually have dessert.”

Lance snorts. “Oh yeah, I bet it was a really good ‘dessert’’ too.”

Eugene blushes and clears his throat again. “It was a great dessert and she even gave me her necklace to remember her by, it was so great.”

“Oh, she _gave_ it to you, huh? Then how come the Grand Duchess sent the guards after us to get it back?”

“Okay, so, I _might_ have stolen it. It was a long time ago and my memory’s foggy.”

“Well, you are twenty-six, and you know what they say,” Lance puts an arm around his shoulder and grins, tapping his friend's temple. “Memory is the first thing to go with age.”

“You’re three years older than me!” Eugene argues, shoving him away and Lance laughs.

Varian smiles and puts his hands in his pockets, turning his focus back to the street as the two bicker. His eyes fall on the tower in the distance, and he lets his mind wander.

He had always figured Cassandra would go to great lengths for her destiny. But he didn’t think she would go so far as to hurt him and everyone else, to nearly kill Eugene… The thought of her being that far gone scares him. _She_ scares him.

She was his friend, his _sister_ as it turns out, and he’s scared of her, and it makes him feel awful. She had been the one to look after him when he was settling into the castle, she showed him the ropes, she would drag him out his room to help her with folding the laundry or polishing the floors or whatever else she could come up with to give him a little bit of a distraction when researching the amber became too much. She saved him back in Old Corona when his water machines exploded, and again at the expo when St. Croix tampered with his machine, and she had protected him when those men were after him. She was always someone he could depend on and now he’s _scared_ of her, and he hates it.

He wants so badly to believe that everything that’s happened, everything Cassandra’s done, was the doing of that demon. To believe Zhan Tiri’s been controlling her this entire time, and that deep down she was _still_ the Cassandra that he’d come to know, that she was still his big sister, but he _can’t_.

He pulls his hands from his pockets and looks at them intently. Zhan Tiri had used him and his anger to attack Rapunzel and the others at the Great Tree, and, no matter how much he wanted to deny it, he _had_ wanted to hurt them. He was still angry, still hurt, and he _wanted_ Rapunzel to feel everything he felt. So how can he say for sure Cassandra _didn’t_ want to hurt them?

But, at the same time, he can’t figure out _why_ Zhan Tiri would go to such lengths. She wants the Sundrop and Moonstone, that much is clear, but why was it so important that Rapunzel and Cassandra fight? Why go so far to make sure they did? Why help him find the final incantation if it was just to use it in a fight that neither side would win?

He breaks into a cold sweat, and his hands start shaking as to many questions without answers flood his mind.

Why does it feel like he played right into her hands? That by giving Rapunzel the incarnation, he—

A hand-clapping down on his shoulder pulls him from his thoughts. “How about we go get something to eat?” Eugene asks. “I don’t know about you, but I am famished.”

“You know, now that you mention it, I’m hungry myself,” Lance walks up on his other side and grins at him. “Rumor has it, Attila’s cooking at the Snuggly Duckling again at night and I hear he makes a mean stew.”

“O-Oh, um,” Varian clears his throat and forces a smile. “Sounds good!”

It always humored the captain how whenever he would come in for a drink, the patrons of the Snuggly Duckling were always on their best behavior. Walking on eggshells, speaking properly, no bar fighting… Almost like one of the upscale taverns in Corona proper. Of course, when he was escorting the princess, they were rowdier, still behaved, but rowdy.

But, as amusing as it is, he came here tonight so their rowdiness would drown out that nagging voice in his head. A voice that keeps telling him he’s failed as the captain of the guard. That he’s failed as a father.

As he stares into his drink, the door opens as more patrons enter the tavern.

“And _that_ is why you never trust a mime to do a clown's job,” Lance concludes as he, Eugene, and Varian enter the tavern. He clears his throat and smiles sheepishly at Ulf. “No offense.”

The mime simply turns his nose up at him and marches off with an invisible tray under his arm.

“I hope he doesn’t spit in our food,” Eugene mutters as he leads the two to a table.

“Hey!” One of the bar thugs shouts as they sit down. “He can’t be in here!”

Eugene glances at Varian and back at the thug. “Hookfoot, since when do you care about the law?”

Hookfoot nods his head to the counter where the captain sits. The man waves a dismissive hand in the air. “I’m off duty,” he says plainly, and just like that, the bar erupts into its usual state of chaos.

“Alright then, never mind.” Hookfoot shrugs, ducking as Shorty goes flying overhead.

Varian stares at the spectacle with bewilderment. Leaning over to Eugene he asks, “Did you _really_ bring Rapunzel here when she was fresh out of the tower?”

“Sure did, and she loved it after she got everyone singing,” A fond smile spreads across his face as he thinks back to that day. “Man, she’s something else.”

Three pints of ale are placed on the table and Varian’s eyes light up, but before he can take his, Lance scoops it up and he pouts.

“Oh, come on—”

“Sorry, little man,” Lance chugs half of it in one go. “But you’re not old enough.”

“I’m almost sixteen,” Varian argues.

“That’s still two years too young,” Eugene points out, taking a drink from his own pint.

“Well, how old were _you_ when you had your first drink?”

Eugene doesn’t answer straight away, taking a long sip. He sets down his drink and swallows. “How old I was doesn’t matter, what does matter is that your dad will kill me.”

Varian huffs and crosses his arms, leaning back in his seat. “You guys are no fun.”

Varian hums to himself as he mixes some red and white powder with some water in a glass. He stirs them together until it turns pink, and pours the contents into a glass orb and corks it.

Eugene and Lance watch intently as he starts on another batch, repeating the process from before. Lance reaches to pick up the prepared orb only to have his hand smacked.

“Don’t touch that,” Varian warns, eyes never leaving the glass. Lance pouts and puts his chin in his palm.

“What are you making anyway?”

“My goo bombs,” he answers, filling another orb. “I’m not _allowed_ to do anything like this in the infirmary, and this is the easiest thing I can make without a proper lab.”

Lance nods and then smiles. “I bet you’re glad to be going home soon so you can try out all sorts of experiments, aren’t ya?”

Varian pauses for a moment before he hums. “Well, I do want to try out a few things from Demanitus’ journal, and I have a few ideas of my own… But,” he pauses again and looks at Eugene. “I-I was actually hoping I could stay at the castle for a little while? So I can work closely with Rapunzel about this whole… Cassandra… Thing.”

“I don’t see why it would be a problem,” Eugene says. “Of course you’d need to ask your old man first.”

Varian deflates and turns back to his project. “Right… Dad…”

“Is everything okay between you two?” Eugene questions. Now that he thinks about it, Quirin had only been by to visit him in the infirmary once. He understands that he’s busy at Old Corona and couldn’t stay away too long, and Varian _had_ insisted he was fine and didn’t need him to stay, but… The kid didn’t seem all too eager to see him again either.

“Yeah, things are great,” Varian answers, jamming a cork in the glass a little too forcefully. “Why _wouldn’t_ things be great? It’s not like he’s done nothing but lie to me my entire life.”

“Kid,” Lance goes to put his hand on his shoulder only for Varian to stand up suddenly.

“I need some fresh air,” he declares, stuffing his bombs in his pockets.

Eugene and Lance share a look before standing up and following him outside, finding him leaning on a nearby tree. They walk up to him, joining him at the tree though they don’t say anything. It doesn’t take long for Varian to break the silence between them.

“I understand why my dad kept quiet about the Dark Kingdom, and his history with the Brotherhood and everything, I do, but… Sometimes I feel like I still don’t know him, and- and it feels like he doesn’t trust me enough to tell me anything,” he rubs his arm. “He _promised_ me he wouldn’t keep any more secrets, but, it’s just one secret after another; about my mom, about me, and… I don’t think _I_ can trust _him_ to be honest with me anymore.”

Varian sighs heavily. “It’s stupid, I know.”

“I don’t think it is,” Eugene shrugs. 

“Yeah,” Lance agrees. “I’d probably be thinking the same thing if I were in your shoes.”

Varian nods and turns his gaze up to the tower in the distance. “There’s just… So _much_ going on, and right now I just want to focus on the Cassandra thing and worry about my personal problems later.”

“But,” Lance begins. “Isn’t the Cassandra thing _one_ of your—”

Eugene silences him by elbowing him in the stomach, causing him to double over and gasp for breath. “That’s perfectly understandable, kid,” he says, putting his arm around Varian’s shoulder. “I’m sure you’re more than welcome to stay at the castle for as long as you need. I mean, it’s practically a second home for you at this point, so I don’t see why there would be an issue.”

Varian smiles when Eugene pulls him into a side hug. “And,” the man continues. “If you ever need to talk, well, Lance and I are all ears.”

“Yeah,” Lance wheezes as he catches his breath. A sly grin splits across his face, and he props his elbow on Eugene’s shoulder. “Of course, as old as he is, Eugene’s hearing _may_ be starting to go.” He says, earning a snicker from Varian.

Eugene rolls his eyes in annoyance. “Anyway,” he looks back at Varian. “Whenever you ever need to get away from anything, be it personal problems or the Cassandra thing, raid the kitchen, blow something up with your alchemy, or just talk, Lance and I are here for you whenever you need us. I promise.”

Varian smiles and goes to answer, but someone else cuts in before he can. “Don’t go making promises you won’t be able to keep, Rider.”

The color drains from Eugene’s face as both he and Lance turn stiff. Varian’s eyebrows knit together as he tries to think back to where he knows that voice from as the three of them turn to the shadows.

“Is that the…” Varian trails off as a mountain of a man, with wild blonde hair, bloodshot eyes, and sickly green and grey blotches on his skin steps out into the moonlight.

“Baron!” Eugene clears his throat and puts himself between both Lance and Varian and the Baron. “You’re looking… I’m gonna be honest, you look like you’ve seen better days,” he says all too casually. “Seriously, you’ve aged what, five, ten years since we last saw you? You know, I have a skincare regimen that would work _wonders_ for you, and I would be more than willing too—”

“Enough with the chit chat, Rider,” the Baron wheezes, cutting him off. “Now,” he takes a step forward, drawing a sword and Eugene takes a step back. “It’s time to settle this.”

The captain steps out of the tavern, helmet in hand, and readies himself to return to Corona proper. He pauses when he hears muffled voices. Placing his helmet on his head, he grips the hilt of his sword and follows the sound, eyes widening slightly when he sees Fitzherbert, Strongbow, and the kid cornered by a man nearly double their size with a sword.

“Oh, come on now, Baron,” Fitzherbert says in a light voice and the captain presses himself behind a tree. “Can’t we let bygones be bygones?”

There’s no answer from the Baron and he heaves a sigh. “Alright, fine, _I’ll_ go with you, but Lance and the kid? They stay here.”

The Baron laughs, though it quickly turns into a coughing fit. “I’m afraid I have a score to settle with all three of you.”

There’s silence for a moment, and the captain can see each of them raise their hands in surrender. He curses under his breath but remains hidden. The three are suspiciously calm as the man leads them away, leading him to believe they have some sort of plan up their sleeves, but that’s not going to stop him from following them.

The tower looms over him in the distance, and his daughter's words echo in his head again, and that voice in the back of his head calling him a failure joins them, causing him to hesitate.

No. He shakes his head. No, he's not going to listen to them. He's not going to allow any more harm to come to any more of Corona’s citizens.

“You were smart not to fight,” the Baron says as he secures the shackles around Lance and Eugene’s wrists, bounding them to a stone pillar. “Seems your kid’s brains rubbed off on you.”

“Well, we are all unarmed and you are _freakishly_ strong,” Eugene says nonchalantly. He clears his throat. “So… What exactly did you mean by having a score to settle?”

“You,” The Baron points his sword at him. “Are going to pay for everything you’ve done to my Stalyan.” He then points his sword at Lance, earning a gulp from the man. “You’re going to finally repay that debt you owe me, and you,” he turns to where he has Varian chained to a hook on the wall.

“As I’m sure you can tell, while I was able to find an antidote before I succumbed to the bite, the venom has left lasting effects—” he explains before coughing violently into his fist. “— And you are going to use that pesky brain of yours to make a cure.”

Varian glares at him with defiance “And if I don’t?” he challenges, though he immediately regrets it when the man presses the tip of his blade to Eugene’s neck, and both he and Lance still.

“Don’t listen to him—“ Eugene says, swallowing hard when the blade presses into his skin enough to draw blood. “Don’t do anything he says, Varian.”

Varian finds himself back in the tower, back in the cage, watching helplessly as his friends are used as leverage, their lives threatened to get what their captor wants. But he’s not in the cage anymore, well, he’s chained up again, but if he can get free, get his hand on the sword… He’s smaller and faster than the Baron is in this state, even with his injuries, and he has the solution he made at the tavern in his pocket, so maybe…

“Okay,” he takes a breath and calms his nerves. “I’ll make you a cure.”

Eugene’s unable to repress a sigh of relief when the Baron lowers his sword. He looks at Varian with a mix of anger and confusion, silently asking him what in the seven hells he thinks he’s doing, but the teenager pays him no mind as the Baron unchains him.

“Don’t try anything stupid,” the Baron warns as he unlocks the shackles.

Varian says nothing and rubs at his bare wrists, wishing he had worn his gloves tonight as they were bound to bruise again from the harsh metal on his skin. He does a quick scan of where they are, finding the only way out was the way they had come in; a sizable hole in the ceiling. He slips his hands into his pockets while the man isn’t looking, pulling one out and staring at it intently.

Okay, all he needs to do is trap the Baron with his goo bombs, get the sword away from him, free Lance, and Eugene, and then they climb out of here and get the captain. Easy peasy.

Eugene catches sight of the glass orb in the kid’s hand and he tries not to make any sounds that would alert the Baron. He’s going to get himself killed if he—

The sound of glass breaking cuts through the deafening silence in the room, and the Baron finds himself trapped, stuck to the stone wall by pink goo. In his confusion, he drops his sword allowing Varian to snag it from the floor and run over to Eugene and Lance.

“Way to go, kid!” Lance praises while Varian quickly looks around the room for a key.

“Key, key, where’s the key?”

“It’s fine, I have a—” Eugene’s cut off by a grunt from the Baron and the sound of breaking stone as he pulls his arm free, taking some of the walls with him, and water starts pouring through the hole made and begins flooding the room. “Shit, Varian, get out of here!”

“What— But, I-I can’t just leave you two!”

“We’ll be fine, goggles, just go!”

Varian doesn’t have time to argue with him before the Baron frees himself of the remainder of the goo by tearing off his sleeve. He looks at Eugene, the man giving him a comforting smile, and he scrambles to climb out of the cave as the Baron rolls his shoulders.

“I was hoping someone would put up a fight,” he mutters, marching past Eugene and Lance as the water rises well beyond their ankles.

“He’s gonna kill him,” Lance says fearfully as the Baron pulls himself through the hole.

“Not if I have anything to say about it he won’t,” Eugene grumbles. He begins squirming, searching for the lockpick he knows is in Lance’s back pocket. The water is past their waists. “Ah-ha! Lance, hold still!”

Within seconds, the shackles around Lance’s wrists fall free, and Lance gets to work on Eugene’s shackles. He struggles with it. He knows how to pick a lock, but Eugene was always better at it than he was and he was the one to handle the lock picking when they were younger. The water continues to rise, now at their necks.

Eugene takes a breath as the water rises above his head.

This was not Varian’s most well thought out plan. Even with a sword in hand, he didn’t stand much of a chance against the _boulders_ the Baron was hurling at him. All he can now is avoid the boulders as best he can and hope he can tire him out.

“Why are you doing this, Baron?” he asks, adjusting his grip on the sword. “Why track us down all the way to Corona? What do you have to gain?”

“Because of that stunt the three of you pulled in Courmont, I lost everything!” The Baron replies, picking up another large boulder. “My daughter left me, my city turned against me… I may have nothing to gain by killing you, but I have nothing to lose either!”

Varian jumps out of the way as the boulder is thrown at him, stumbling on the uneven ground and nearly dropping the sword.

Okay, so the Rapunzel way of doing things and trying to reason with him isn’t going to work. Back to avoiding the boulders and tiring him out.

Eugene and Lance both cough, gasping for breath as they surface. “Man,” Eugene pants, pushing the hair from his eyes. “If I had a coin for every time I nearly drowned in a cold dark cave…” he takes a breath. “I’d have two coins, but, it's weird that it’s happened twice.”

They pull themselves onto dry land, looking around for Varian and the Baron.

“There,” Lance draws his attention to Varian, curled into a ball on the ground, and gripping his side in pain. The Baron is still nowhere in sight.

“Hang on kid,” Eugene calls. They run toward him but Lance is shoved roughly to the ground, and Eugene is tackled and pinned down by the Baron with one hand.

“Eugene—“ Varian gasps, eyes going wide as the Baron raises a large rock high above his head.

“This ends now, Rider.”

Eugene’s eyes go wide with fear. He’s going to die. He’s going to die in a very ugly way, and he’s not even going to be able to see Rapunzel’s face one last time before he does. But, maybe it’s for the best she isn’t here to see. Having your skull crushed by a deranged madman with a rock isn’t something someone as tender-hearted as her should see.

He closes his eyes, waiting for Death's embrace to surround him once more, knowing that this time… He won’t be coming back.

But it never comes. Instead, Lance knocks the Baron upside the head with a tree branch, knocking him to the side and leaving him in a daze on the ground. The man grins and holds out a hand for his friend, pulling him to his feet.

“Thanks,” Eugene says, voice shaking as he pats Lance on the arm. “I owe you one.”

“Just treat me to a nice dinner and we’ll call it even,”

Varian tries to push himself to his knees, but the pain in his side keeps him on the ground. He bites his lip to keep himself from crying out, the sound coming out as a whimper as he curls further in on himself. He did too much too soon, likely making his injuries worse, which just means he’s going to be stuck in the infirmary even longer.

“Varian,” he looks up at Eugene and Lance as they drop to their knees at his side. He smiles tiredly as they help him sit up. “Are you alright?”

Varian goes to answer, but his voice catches in his throat when a stone falls from above them. The three of them turn to the stone pillar looming over them, the Baron, in a last attempt to finish them off pushing it and causing it to crack and crumble. They huddle together, hugging each other for what could be the last time as the pillar falls.

Just then, before the pillar could crush them, the ground beneath them trembles, knocking the Baron off his feet. A large cluster of black rocks grows between them and the pillar, preventing it from falling on them and causing it to fall apart in large chunks.

Eugene’s eyes snap open, and he tightens his grip on Lance and Varian as heart pounds in his chest. He frantically looks around for the source of the rocks. The _last_ thing he needs to worry about right now is _Cassandra_ deciding to show up and—

He blinks, looking between himself and Lance to see the two streaks in Varian’s hair glowing a bright blue, the same color as the rocks towering above them, and for a second he swears the rest of his hair was a darker shade of blue too instead of its usual inky black. The trembling stops and both the rocks and Varian’s hair stops glowing, and Eugene lets out a sigh of relief. Carefully, he hands Varian off to Lance and gets to his feet, his legs shake as he picks up the discarded sword.

The Baron groans, putting a hand to his head and pushing himself up. He goes still when his weapon is turned against him, pointed at him. He glares up at Eugene, the younger man staring down at him.

“You’re right, this ends now, Baron.”

The captain could kick himself. How did he lose sight of them? He let his self-doubt get the better of him that’s how. He’s not cut out for this anymore. If he can’t even keep sight of four people, how is he supposed to lead his men into battle? His eyes dart to the tower, and Cassandra’s words echo in his mind again. He shakes them away and presses on.

He should have turned back, gone back to Corona, alert the King and Queen, form a search and rescue party, and get Maximus to sniff them out. But, something in his gut tells him that it will take too long and by the time they find them, it would be too late.

His hand flies to the hilt of his sword when he hears a twig snap and marches towards the sound. Much to his surprise, the source of the sound is the very people he’s looking for. The blonde-haired man’s arms are bound behind his back by rope, and he’s being led by Fitzherbert who has a sword in hand while Strongbow has the kid on his back.

“Captain!” Eugene snaps him out of his shock. “Man, am I glad to see you.”

The captain clears his throat and forces a smile. “I’m impressed that you were able to apprehend him, Fitzherbert.”

Eugene smiles and shrugs. “Well, to be fair, without Lance and Varian, I probably would have died, so I can’t take _all_ the credit.”

The captain glances at the tower in the distance one more time and heaves a sigh. Leaving the captives to save themselves and apprehend their captor… He really isn’t cut out for this anymore, is he? He shakes his head and clears his throat, taking the Baron by the arm. “I’ll take him off your hands,” he says. “You three go back to the castle, get some rest.”

“Rest sounds nice,” Varian mumbles, resting his head on Lance’s shoulder and closing his eyes.

“Rest sounds really nice,” Eugene agrees with a yawn.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Lance adds.

Rapunzel wanders down the hall leading to Eugene’s room. It’s been a good six hours since Varian ‘vanished’ from the infirmary, and Gladys, the physician, wasn’t happy about. And, something tells her that wherever she finds Eugene, she’ll find Varian.

She walks past the alchemists’ room, pauses, and walks backward to peer inside the open door, smiling at what she sees inside.

Varian lies in bed, sound asleep, and snuggly tucked in with one arm dangling over the side of the bed. Lance leans against the side of the bed, snoring loudly with Eugene in his lap and fast asleep, drooling on Lance’s shoulder.

Quietly, Rapunzel tiptoes into the room and pulls a spare blanket out of the wardrobe and drapes it over Lance and Eugene. She presses a gentle kiss to Eugene’s forehead and leaves the room, closing the door with a soft click.

She folds her hands behind her back and makes her way back to her room for a little late-night painting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel really wishes cameras were a thing right now.
> 
> I'll see you guys next time ha


	19. Chapter XIX: The Witches Mountain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel visits the witches house in search of a lost doll.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys. I'm still... You know, alive.
> 
> I've just... Had a really bad episode of burnout, and I've been busy lately(i got a puppy) so I haven't had much motivation or time to write until somewhat recently.
> 
> I hope you guys like this chapter.

Rapunzel’s tired. It’s not even early evening and she’s exhausted, having been dragged from commitment to commitment with no time to just breathe in between. Brunch with her parents, tea with the duchess, then an unveiling of a new jewelry store, and then a ship launching on her father’s behalf, another meeting, this time with the seamstress for a new gown, beginning the preparations for the upcoming harvest festival, and then after that, she would head to Varian’s lab and assist him with his latest project until it was time for dinner with her family, and then it’s off to bed to do everything again bright and early in the morning.

Needless to say, she’s busy. 

But, busy is _good._ Busy is _distracting._ Busy keeps her mind off the fact her first friend outside of Pascal and Eugene, who she had come to love as an older sister is possibly being possessed by an ancient demon who wants to destroy Corona for unknown reasons at this very moment. Busy keeps her mind off the fact that there’s next to _nothing_ she can do about it.

But, at the same time, busy was… Too much. Yes, Rapunzel _likes_ busy, but she barely has time to think about anything. 

Which is why she decided to sneak away before she met with Varian. He won’t mind if she’s a little late, and knowing him he’s probably absorbed in something else and wouldn’t even notice.

She wanders down Mainstreet, smiling to herself when she sees a group of children huddled together and talking amongst themselves. Her smile falters when she sees the worried look on their faces.

“What’s the matter?” she inquires.

“I lost my dolly,” a young girl says, tears in her eyes.

“Oh, no!” Rapunzel kneels. “Where was the last place you saw her?” The little girl mumbles something, but Rapunzel is unable to understand what she’s said. The princess smiles sweetly at her. “Did you lose her somewhere you weren’t supposed to be?”

“Yeah…”

“Ah, well, why don’t you tell me where, and I’ll go get her for you?”

The group of children looks at one another with uncertainty before turning back to the princess. The little girl sniffles, wiping her nose on her sleeve. “I-I lost her in- in…” her voice trails off into a whisper. “The Witch's house…”

Rapunzel stares at the old cabin. “Isn’t it beautiful, Pascal?” 

Pascal gives her a quizzical look. The cabin is nestled between tall pine trees at the base of a mountain, a gentle stream running through the land, and feeding into a nearby river. Back in it’s prime, it was probably like something out of a fairytale. But now… The cabin was overtaken by ivy, the window was broken, the shutters threatened to fall off at any moment, and holes dotted the roof.

Pascal lets out a low chirp, hiding in her purse, and Rapunzel smiles. “Don’t worry, Pascal, we’ll be in and out in no time.”

“I have always wanted to go to a real-life witch’s house,” she says as she makes her way up the path. “Oh, I wonder if it’s haunted!” Her eyes sparkle at the idea and Pascal sighs.

The heavy wooden door opens with a loud groan, and the princess takes a hesitant step inside. The stone floor is cold under her feet, and the air is musty, and it made it slightly difficult for her to breathe. Cobwebs covered everything, the banisters, the walls, everything that had been left on the shelves. Rapunzel keeps her eyes on the floor, searching for the doll.

Something falls from one of the shelves and she nearly jumps out of her skin with a startled yelp as Pascal squeals and hides further inside her purse. She relaxes when she spots a rat crawling across one of the shelves, having knocked an old vial down. She laughs nervously.

Why is she so jittery? It’s just an old house, and even if it was haunted, it’s not like she’s never seen a ghost before.

Pascal chirps again, tugging at her sleeve and drawing her attention to the sought after doll lying on the floor. She smiles and picks it up, placing it in her bag beside Pascal. “See? That wasn’t so bad now was—”

Rapunzel’s voice gets caught in her throat when she turns around, and Pascal cowers in the bag. She stumbles back, throat tightening as she struggles to speak. Before her stands the last person she had expected to see here. 

“What’s the matter?” Cassandra asks in a condescending tone. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I—” Rapunzel studies her, blue hair, blue eyes, no weird green tint like the last time she saw her. “Are you…” she takes a breath and steadies herself. “Are you alright, Cassandra?”

Cassandra is taken aback by the question, briefly looking confused before she just looks angry. “So now you care? You didn’t seem so concerned when you threw me off the tower.”

“Cass, I… What happened at the tower, it… I think we both took things a little too far.” She hugs herself and takes a hesitant step forward. “I still think we can talk this out, Cassandra.”

The Moonstone flashes suddenly and rocks begin growing between them, forcing her to a stop. “There’s nothing to talk about, _princess._ So just take the doll and leave.”

They stare at one another, neither of them making a move. Rapunzel’s eyebrows pinch together. “What… What are you doing here, Cassandra?”

Cassandra doesn’t answer her. Truth be told, she had originally left her tower to get some fresh air. To think about the plan that was presented to her. To get away from _her_ so maybe she can think without having her thoughts turned against her. But then she spotted Rapunzel and she followed her here, though she isn’t entirely sure why.

“That’s none of your business, now leave.”

A sudden feeling of defiance fills the princess and she crosses her arms. “And if I don’t?”

Cassandra faces her, the Moonstone flashing again. “Then I’ll _make_ you.”

Rapunzel barely has time to unfasten her hair before a wave of black rocks rushes at her. She jumps out of the way and whips a section of hair at Cassandra, only for the swordswoman to catch it. The princess stumbles forward with a cry when Cassandra gives her hair a sharp tug, but firmly plants her feet on the floor and whips another section of hair at her, this time wrapping around her ankle, and with a strong tug, Rapunzel knocks her off her feet.

“Cass, please, I don’t want to fight you—”

“I don’t care what _you_ want!” Cassandra snaps, getting to her feet and drawing her sword. “I’m tired of doing everything _you_ want! It’s high time we do what _I_ want!”

Rapunzel drops her hair and stares at her. She frowns. “Then _tell me_ what you want, Cass! Whatever it is, I’ll make it happen, just _please_ talk to me!”

Cassandra hesitates, the grip on her sword faltering as she looks at the princess. She’s looking at her with sympathy, or was it pity? Was it genuine or was it just a ploy to get her to lower her guard?

‘ _She’s lying to you,_ ’ She can all but hear Zhan Tiri’s voice in the back of her mind. ‘ _She doesn’t care about what you want. She doesn’t care about_ you. _How could she? After everything you’ve done, you’re nothing to her now.’_

She grits her teeth and a cluster of large rocks burst through the floor. The rocks raise the cabin, sending both girls falling forward as the contents of the shelves fall off. 

A flowerpot hits a sconce, pushing it in and causing a passage to open and both Rapunzel and Cassandra fall through it. The two land inside a minecart dazed with one on top of the other. Cassandra groans and puts a hand to her head, only to scowl seconds later.

“Get _off,_ ” she shoves the princess off her, and to the other side of the cart, the sudden movement and force of the shove are enough to get it to roll backward.

The cart speeds down a steep hill, following the twists and turns of the mineshaft at a high speed that made the princess queasy. Pascal clings to her sleeve, the fabric slipping between his claws and sending him flying backward. He’s caught before he falls out of the cart and blinks up at Cassandra as she pulls him to her chest.

The track comes to an abrupt end, sending the cart toppling over and dumping the two young women out onto the stone floor, the contents of Rapunzel’s bag spilling out and scattering across the ground.

Rapunzel pushes herself up to her knees, brushing the hair from her eyes, and takes in her surroundings. Bioluminescent mushrooms grew on the floor and the walls, offering some light in the otherwise dark cave the two were trapped in.

Cassandra sits up and looks around. Her eyes fall on the chameleon in her hand, and her eyebrows pinch together as he smiles at her. “What?” Pascal chirps and she rolls her eyes and sets him down. “Don’t read too much into it.”

She stands approaching the tunnel they had come out of, walking past Rapunzel as she fixes her hair and stares into the tunnel. She scoffs. She can get out of here no problem, all she has to do is use the rocks as a lift—

“Cass, wait—”

The ground cracks as she summons a rock and the crack runs up the walls, causing the stone above them to cave in and blocking their exit. The dust clears and Rapunzel's sigh.

“And now we’re stuck,” she says. “Under a mountain.”

“Nice going, princess,” Cassandra turns away from the rubble and crosses her arms. “Now I’m stuck down here with you.” 

“How is it my fault? You’re the one who caused the cave-in.” She watches as a dull yellow gas begins seeping through the cracks in the floor and walls. “And apparently a gas leak.”

“Yeah, because I was trying to get out of here, somewhere I wouldn’t even be if you had just left when I told you.”

Rapunzel goes to protest but instead, she puts her hands in the air. “Okay, alright,” she says. “You’re right, I _did_ push your buttons and now we’re _both_ trapped down here so I think we should work together to find a way out.”

“Or,” Cassandra shoves past her taking a tunnel leading left. “I can go this way and you can go… Frankly, I don’t care where you go, just as long as it’s not with me.”

Rapunzel frowns deeply as she watches Cassandra vanish down the tunnel. She wants to follow her, but she understands that if she did, it would only make Cassandra angrier, and the rocks respond to her anger, and right now… Cassandra bringing the mountain down on them in a fit of rage is the last thing either of them need.

She sighs and begins picking up her belongings while Pascal happily hops around the room chasing flies. She reaches for the doll, only to recoil when a large mole, the size of a small dog suddenly takes it and runs off with it.

“No, wait! Come back!” Rapunzel grabs her bag and runs after the mole, Pascal abandoning his swarm of flies to follow after her.

Cassandra blinks with surprise when a mole with a doll runs past her and rolls her eyes with annoyance when Rapunzel runs past her after it. She pulls up her hood, trying to ignore the princess’ calling for the mole.

_Stay out of it,_ she thinks to herself. _Just ignore her and find the way out, this isn’t your problem._

The mole vanishes into a large open area of the cave, various tunnels leading in various directions and a large chasm stretching across the floor. Rapunzel frowns, unable to find the mole or the doll. As she searches, peering into tunnels at random, Cassandra eyes the area, spotting a door across the chasm and a rope bridge leading to it.

Testing the bridge, she places one foot on it, only to recoil quickly when the wood crumbles under her feet and falls into the chasm. She listens, frowning when she doesn’t hear the wood hit the bottom. 

“Ah, ha!” Rapunzel catches the doll when she pulls it in with her hair. She smiles and stows it away in her bag again and looks at the mole. “Sorry little fella, but there’s a little girl who really misses her doll.”

The mole stares in her general direction, sniffing the air with a twitching nose. It growls and stands on its hind legs before letting out an ear-piercing screech. Rapunzel puts her hands over her ears and Cassandra cringes.

The mole’s screech echoes throughout the cavern, and it doesn’t die down until the ground begins shaking and a much, much larger mole emerges from one of the tunnels.

Rapunzel backs away from the animal as it sniffs at the air, the smaller mole running up to it and climbing onto it’s back.

“Giant moles,” she says, bewildered. “Honestly, this isn’t the craziest thing I’ve ever seen before.” 

The mole catches her scent and growls, stalking towards her. She takes a step back when the mole stands on its hind legs. It lets out a deafening roar that shakes the cavern, loose rocks falling from above. Rapunzel grabs her hair and shields herself when the beast swipes at her with large sharp claws.

Rapunzel searches for anything she can use to pull herself to safety, stumbling back when the beast swipes at her again. She jumps back when it swipes at her again, and again, and again until it has her cornered at the edge of the chasm. The mole rears up on its hind legs, letting out another ground-shaking roar, raising a paw to swipe at her again. 

It stills when the ground beneath them shakes, and it lowers to the ground. Sniffing the air, the animal turns to Cassandra as she forms a bridge with the rocks, creating large cracks in the ground and causing more of the gas to seep through the cracks.

“Cass, look out!”

Cassandra looks away from her bridge just as the mole charges at her. She jumps out of the way, causing it to run into the wall behind her. 

The mole collects itself and is fixated on her again. Cassandra goes to summon more rocks, but the increasing growth of the cracks beneath their feet stops her. She draws her sword, blocking a swipe with her blade, and grits her teeth.

“You just _had_ to make it mad, didn’t you?” Cassandra demands, pushing back against the animal's weight. She loses the struggle and the animal breaks free, knocking her back, it goes to swipe at her with its claws and she shields herself with her arms. Rapunzel’s hair tightly wraps around the young woman’s waist, pulling her away and causing the moles' massive claws to dig further into the dirt, creating more cracks.

The mole roars again and turns to both of them.

“Aren’t these things supposed to be blind?” Cassandra demands, freeing herself from the princess’s hair.

“Actually,” Rapunzel begins and Cassandra rolls her eyes. “Moles aren’t blind, they’re colorblind and have poor vision and rely mostly on smell, but they can still see movement and light.”

“That right?” The older of the two remarks as the mole charges at them again. “Well, then hurry up and make your hair do the bright thing!”

Rapunzel’s eyebrows furrow in a brief moment of confusion before realizing what she meant. She closes her eyes. “Power of the sun, gift to me with your light…”

Cassandra closes her eyes as Rapunzel’s hair glows brightly, and the animal shrieks. The light quickly fades, and the mole stumbles around blindly, giving the young women their chance to escape through the door on the other side of the chasm.

The ancient stone door slams shut as the animal roars again, and the two lean against it to catch their breath. Rapunzel giggles, blowing a strand of hair out of her face.

“No one’s going to believe this,” she says as Cassandra pushes away from the door. “Giant moles! In Corona! Oh, I can’t wait to put that in the journal!”

Cassandra looks back at her as she fixes her hair. She had _saved_ her just then. But… Why would she do that? After everything she’s done to her and those, she holds dear… Why would she save her?

She shakes her head. This is _Rapunzel._ She’d save anyone without much thought. It meant nothing.

“Cassandra,” the princess calls her name and she realizes she’s been staring. “I really do think we’d better our chances of getting out of here in one piece if we work together.”

She hesitates. As much as she hates to admit it… If it weren’t for Rapunzel she’d be dead right now, and there’s no telling how many more creatures like that are lurking in the mountain. She sighs. 

“Fine,” she holds her hand out to her. “We’ll call a temporary truce, but just until we get out of here.” Rapunzel doesn’t take her hand right away, and Cassandra represses a groan when she hums. “Let me guess, you want me to be nice to you?”

“Well, I wasn’t going to… Okay, yeah, I was going to say that, but… Just… Don’t be mean, okay?”

“... Okay.”

Rapunzel smiles and they shake on it. The two venture further into the room, Rapunzel lighting a torch and holding it up to give them some extra light. She spots various papers tacked to a nearby wall and approaches them, gently pulling one free.

Examining the parchment further, she finds it to be a replica of the Demanitus scroll. “It looks like the Demanitus scroll…” she muses. Her mouth turns dry as she reads the all too familiar handwriting.

No, no, it couldn’t be _hers._ It’s not possible… Right?

“Cassandra? Do you… Does anyone know who the witch was?”

“All I know is that she just vanished one day twenty years ago,” she answers, ducking under a low portion of the ceiling, Rapunzel following after her. “And since then, kids have dared each other to stay the night in the cabin.”

“Oh, that’s right!” Rapunzel says as if she had forgotten about it. “Varian told me all about that. Apparently, for the kids in Old Corona, it’s less of a dare and more of a test of courage and a right of passage.”

Cassandra feels a twang of guilt when the princess mentions her younger brother. The last time she saw him, he looked ready to pass out from his injuries. Injuries _she_ gave him. She frowns and quietly asks, “Is Varian alright?”

Rapunzel falters, hesitating to answer. “You know Varian, he bounces back quickly.” She says and Cassandra nods.

The two venture further into the room, searching for a door, or any alternate exits besides the way they came. Rapunzel eyes the walls, eyebrows knitting together at the sight of mirrors, in various shapes and sizes lining the walls. They ranged from standing mirrors to hanging mirrors, pocket mirrors, and hand mirrors.

“Wow, and I thought Fitzherbert was—” Cassandra stops herself when Rapunzel shoots her a look. She closes her mouth, unable to think of anything nice to say. So instead, she dusts off one of the mirrors, only to jump back when the glass suddenly glows and a woman appears.

“Good morning, beautiful,” the woman in the mirror purrs.

Rapunzel freezes, eyes going wide and Pascal quickly hides in her hair, changing color to match her golden locks. “ _Mother?_ ”

Cassandra looks away from the mirror and to the princess, something tugging at her heart at the sight of her; eyes wide, face pale with sweat on her brow. She then looks back to the mirror.

“Aren’t we looking lovely today?” The woman acts as if she’s examining herself in a mirror, pulling back the skin on her face and neck to make herself appear younger with a satisfied smile. “I knew the smokey eyes would look good…”

Cassandra’s eyebrows pinch together. Why does she recognize her voice?

Rapunzel’s head spins as she struggles to make sense of everything. Mother— _Gothel_ , was the witch, and this was her home from before she… Before she took her. The scroll and the notes on the wall. Those were hers. They were written in her hand, and Rapunzel can’t deny it anymore. But then that means Mother— _Gothel_ worked with Demanitus. 

Was she one of his pupils? Was she one of the ones to turn on him in favor of Zhan Tiri? How long had she known about the Sundrop? She knew where it was and not even Demanitus knew that. Did she know of its location before she met him? Did she find it after he had already put his consciousness in Vigor?

So many questions buzz around her skull and it makes her head throb.

“Rapunzel!” a hand on her shoulder and the sound of her name pulls her from her thoughts, and she looks at Cassandra. The older of the two looking at her with genuine concern. “Are you alright?”

“I… I’m okay,” she says, swallowing hard. “I just… Wasn’t expecting… _This._ ” She gestures to the mirror.

Cassandra instinctively gives Rapunzel a gentle, comforting squeeze on her shoulder, only to immediately pull away when she realizes she did.

Rapunzel smiles and the swordswoman turns away from her. The princess looks at another mirror, fingers hovering just over the glass before lightly touching the surface.

“Today, the gentlemen at the bookstore said I was breathtaking,” Gothel said with a contented sigh. “ _Breathtaking,_ can you believe it?”

“Seems she used these mirrors like a diary…” Cassandra points out. “Here I thought your journal was—” Rapunzel gives her a pointed look and she clears her throat. “ _Unique._ ”

“Thank you,”

As the two continue their search, Rapunzel soon finds a fireplace and lights it with the torch. She walks up to a mirror and hesitantly touches it, watching as it came to life and shows her an image from Gothel’s past. She watches as the woman paces back and forth with a distressed look on her face. 

“Two and a half thousand years,” she said, sounding furious. “Two and a half _thousand_ years I’ve kept it hidden and just like that—” Gothel stopped in front of the mirror, though for once she didn’t look in it, and put her hands in her hair. “What am I going to do? I have to get it back.”

Gothel threw on a cloak and placed a pair of scissors in her satchel. “One lock of the child's hair should be all I need. But if not…” she trailed off, turning to the window. She turned back, frowning deep when her hair began turning grey, prompting her to examine herself for wrinkles and liver spots.

“I’ll never reach the castle on foot in time,” she groaned. She looked at the mirror with a dark look in her eye. “I think it’s time I cashed in my favor.”

The mirror turns black, and Rapunzel stares at it. Pascal looks at Cassandra when she stands beside the princess. 

“That was the night she took me from my parents…” Rapunzel says quietly.

“And the night they took mine from me,” Cassandra adds, just as quiet. 

“Gothel ruined both of our lives in one fell swoop,” the princess says.

“Yeah, you’re sitting in the lap of luxury surrounded by people who love you and cater to your every whim, how _awful._ ”

“You know what I mean, Cassandra.”

“Yeah, I know, but that doesn’t change the fact that everything’s worked out for you. You have a home, you have parents who love you, a boyfriend who loves you, friends who love you… And I’m one arrest away from life in the dungeons.”

“I won’t let that happen, Cassandra,” Rapunzel assures her.

“You should,”

“Because, Cass, you’re still my…” she pauses. “Cassandra… I know you’re still in there, and… I’m not going to give up on you.”

Cassandra clenches her fists and bites her lip as the Moonstone glows brighter with her rising anger.

How can she say that? Sure, she’s _Rapunzel_ and has an annoying habit of forgiving people, but so far everyone she’s forgiven had been petty thieves, not… Not traitors who have committed high treason, kidnapping, and attempted murder all in one day. 

How can the princess just ignore the fact that she stole an ancient and powerful artifact out of spite? That she’s turned her back on everything; her home, her family, and her friends? That she tortured a teenage boy for information? That she threatened to kill the love of her life? That she was willing to hurt everyone in that tower if it meant she would fight her?

She’s no better than that damned demon. How can Rapunzel still have faith in her? How can she look at her and not see a monster? How can she look at her _at all_ and not be angry?

She _should_ be angry! After everything she’s done… She doesn’t deserve for _anyone_ least of all _Rapunzel_ to show her any kindness! Why isn’t she angry?!

The Moonstone flashes and the ground splits open as a cluster of Cassandra’s rocks burst through the ground between them. The spikes jut out at different angles and heights, some shattering mirrors into millions of pieces, Gothel’s age-old memories now in pieces on the floor.

“Cassandra?!” Rapunzel cries out, stumbling back to avoid one of the spikes. 

Cassandra steps back, staring wide-eyed at the cluster of rocks her anger had summoned. She doesn’t even know what she’s angry at anymore as she stares at her reflection in the rocks, still unable to fully recognize herself and what she’s become. Was she angry at Rapunzel or—

Rapunzel coughs violently, pulling Cassandra from her thoughts and bringing her attention to the poisonous gas filling the chamber. She gags and pulls her cloak up enough to cover her nose. Debris falls from above them, forcing them to huddle together.

“We need to get out of here—” Rapunzel wheezes, covering her nose with her arm. She looks around the room, finding no alternate exits. “We have to go back the way we came!” She grabs Cassandra by the arm and pulls her along.

“Did you forget about the mole, Raps?”

“The mole is the least of our worries right now,” she says. She pauses and looks back at Cassandra with bright eyes. “You called me ‘Raps’.”

“It just slipped out,” Cassandra pulls herself free from her grip when they reach the door. “Any plans to get the mole?”

“Run fast.”

“Wow, wish I thought of that.”

They open the door, and peer out, the mole nowhere in sight. Figuring it left to escape from the gas, the two leave Gothel’s chamber and cross Cassandra’s bridge. They’re forced to a stop on the bridge and they shield themselves with their arms when a swarm of giant bats fly overhead and dives into the chasm below.

“First giant moles and now giant bats?” Cassandra questions, lowering her arms. “What is with this mountain?”

“Probably something with the minerals?”

Pascal chirps and tugs and Rapunzel’s hair. He points to the other side of the chasm where the giant mole from earlier climbs down into the pit.

“There must be a way out down there,” Rapunzel concludes. She pushes Cassandra’s hand down when she extends it over the pit, both the Moonstone and the rock they were standing on glowing. “Wait! Any more rocks could bring down the mountain!” She warns.

“And just how do you expect we get out of here?” Cassandra demands. “Are you going to let down your hair or something?”

Rapunzel looks around frantically, smiling when she sees a minecart on the other side of the bridge. “I have a better idea,”

She grabs Cassandra by the wrist again and drags her to the cart. The pile inside and Cassandra looks at her quizzically.

“Uh, Raps? How exactly do you plan to get this thing moving?”

“I was thinking someone could shoot a rock from the ground and push it,”

“But you _just_ said I could bring the mountain down with the rocks!”

“Yes, I said _could!_

Cassandra groans and rolls her eyes. “I am so going to regret this,” she grumbles.

The Moonstone sparks and a single rock bursts from the floor, hitting the minecart dead on and sending it rushing forward. The uneven terrain and lack of a track make for an unpleasant ride for its two passengers, but they hold onto whatever they could. The cart plummets into the pit, and the two young women cling to one another, both the Moonstone and Rapunzel’s hair giving off a soft glow as they do.

Rapunzel’s hair glows brighter as they approach the bottom of the pit. Her hair frees itself from its ties and wraps around both of them just as the cart hits the ground and breaks upon the impact.

The glowing ball of sunlight that is Rapunzel’s hair bounces down the tunnel before it begins rolling, unraveling around the pair and leaving them disheveled and staring at the rocky ceiling of the cavern above them. They pant, chests heaving as they collect themselves. Cassandra is the first to speak.

“That’s uh… Handy,”

“Right?”

Cassandra tried to stifle a laugh, but tried as she might she couldn’t hold back and Rapunzel soon joined her. They lie on their backs, tangled in long blonde hair, and laugh together for the first time in months. Their laughter soon turns breathless and Rapunzel pushes herself up. She holds out a hand to Cassandra.

“Let’s find a way out,”

Cassandra hesitates to take her hand. The princess has a friendly smile on her face, a genuinely friendly smile, and it causes a small smile to tug at her lips. She takes her hand and allows her to pull her up. 

The ground beneath their feet begins shaking and loose stones fall from the ceiling above. They turn just as the mole turns a corner.

“Not him again,” Cassandra groans as the mole sniffs at the air.

“Stay still,” Rapunzel says in a hushed voice. “He might not know we’re here and just keep going.” The mole’s nose twitches as it sniffs the air, it growls in their general direction, and begins pawing at the ground with its massive paws.

“Or not,” Rapunzel scoops up as much of her hair as she could and Cassandra scoops up the rest. 

They turn and run down the tunnel, the mole letting out an earthshaking roar and chasing after them. 

Outrunning the animal was proving to be a challenge. The mole was fast, and with each sweep of its paws, its claws dug into the earth, allowing more of the gas to fill the cavern. The girls turn a sharp corner, causing the mole to slam into the wall and stunning it, but the force of the impact causes more debris to fall from above.

The ceiling caves in, effectively separating the two from the animal, but taking away their light in the process. They’re stranded in the dark, the light from the Moonstone and the soft glow from Rapunzel’s hair doing little to illuminate the cave.

The gas quickly begins filling the space they’re in, steadily making it harder to breathe.

Rapunzel drops her hair and coughs into her sleeve. “Power of the—” she coughs again. “Power of the sun—” and again. “Gift to me with your light…”

Cassandra coughs into her fist as Rapunzel’s hair begins to glow brightly. Her vision swims, the effects of the gas making her dizzy as she looks around, using the provided light to take in their surroundings. Before she can, the light suddenly fades, and she hears a thud.

“Ra-Rapunzel?” she coughs. Dread fills her when the only response she gets is frantic squeaking from Pascal. She hears the mole from the other side of the cave-in, and she grits her teeth.

Holding out a shaking arm, she summons her rocks from the earth. They split the mountain open, allowing sunlight to pour into the dark cavern. She then pulls Rapunzel up, slinging one of her limp arms around her shoulders, and drags her towards their escape.

Rapunzel gasps for air, her lungs burning as she turns over to cough violently. She glances at Cassandra as she coughs on her hands and knees.

“You- You saved me…”

“Now we’re even,” Cassandra wheezes.

Rapunzel smiles and sits on her knees. “Just like old times, right?”

Cassandra smiles. “Yeah, just like old times.” Her smile falters and she stands up on shaky legs. “I-” she starts, voice catching in her throat. “I’ll see you around, Rapunzel.”

“What?” the princess scrambles to her feet and catches Cassandra by her wrist. “Cass, wait, please!” she looks at her pleadingly when she looks back at her. “There _has_ to be a way to fix this… Please, let’s just… We can still work this out.”

“Why?” Cassandra demands. “Why won’t you- After everything I’ve done, how can you…” she pulls herself free and turns to the princess. “Why are you trying so hard to help me?!” she demands. “Why aren’t you _angry?!_ After everything I’ve done, _I’m_ angry at me, so why aren’t you?!”

“I _am_ angry!” Rapunzel snaps suddenly, taking both Cassandra and Pascal by surprise. “I am _beyond_ angry at you for everything you’ve done! You attacked my family! You ruined the _one_ day that was just supposed to be about Eugene! You kidnapped Varian and you hurt him really bad! You attacked me and my friends, and then you threatened to kill Eugene! Of _course_ I’m mad at you!”

“I know you’re angry, and you have every right to be. But- but being angry all the time and hurting people isn’t going to solve _anything!_ ” She continues. “It’s just going to make things worse!”

Cassandra says nothing, looking away from Rapunzel and to the black tower in the distance. As much as she hates to admit it. Rapunzel was right. Her anger has only made things worse. She’s hurt innocent people… She’s aligned herself with a demon… Her anger just led her to one mistake after another.

“Please, Cassandra,” Rapunzel breaks the silence between them. “Just come home and I promise we’ll fix this together. I’ll help you through this.”

Cassandra looks at her with uncertainty. How can she be sure Rapunzel is telling her the truth? All anyone has ever done in her life is lie to her. How can she be so sure Rapunzel is any different? How can she be sure she’s not just trying to placate her to get the Moonstone back and have her locked up and never think about her again?

She turns away from the princess, and even with her back turned she can see the heartbroken look on her face. “I’ll… I’ll see you later.”

“Susie!” The little girl takes her doll from the princess and hugs her tight. “You’re okay!” She gives a bright, toothy smile to Rapunzel before hugging her around the waist. “Thank you, princess!”

Rapunzel smiles. “You’re welcome, Emily,” she pats the little girl on the head. “Promise me you’ll be really careful not to lose her again, okay?”

“‘Kay!”

Rapunzel’s smile vanishes when the little girl runs off. Pascal chirps from her shoulder, and she sighs as her mind wanders back to the day's events in the mountain. Even if it was just for a short while, she was able to see some of the old Cassandra today. They worked together just like they used to, they laughed together, they even saved each other.

But most importantly, Cassandra admitted to being angry with _herself_. Which just proves that she knows what she’s doing isn’t right.

“Cassandra may be lost, but… She’s not gone,” she says. “Not yet.” Pascal chirps in response and she clenches her fists. “I promise, I am never going to give up on her.”

Cassandra stares out of the window of her tower, staring at the outline of Corona’s castle. She leans on the window frame, her arms crossed over her chest as she lets her mind wander. Rapunzel’s words bouncing around in her skull.

Come home? That has to be some sort of joke. She doesn’t have a home anymore. She lost the right to call Corona her home the second she took the Moonstone.

She’s burnt all her bridges. She’s pushed everyone away. She knows they’ll never take her back, not after all she’s done, and she doesn’t blame them. But even so, a small part of her _wants_ them too. It’s selfish, she knows it is, but… There’s always the slight chance that they will, so shouldn’t she take that chance?

She shakes her head. No. No, regardless of what Rapunzel says, and no matter how much she wants to think otherwise; they’d be sooner to lock her in the dungeons rather than welcome her back. And, worst of all? She knows she deserves it too. High treason, kidnapping, attempted murder, attempted murder of the _princess_ , and her friends… All of that is a one-way ticket to the mines at best or the gallows at worst.

And here she thought going to a _convent_ was bad.

“There you are, Cassandra,” the young woman represses the urge to roll her eyes when Zhan Tiri speaks to her. “I’ve been looking for you.”

“Well, you found me,” she points out, not bothering to look at her. “What do you want?”

“I’ve been thinking about our next move,” the demon responds.

“I thought we decided we were biding our time until this eclipse or whatever?”

“We are, but,” Zhan Tiri pauses. “Even if your power will outmatch that of the Sundrops, you would still be a fool to try and lay siege to Corona on your own.”

Cassandra looks at her from over her shoulder and raises an eyebrow. “So, you want me to form an army or something?”

“Army is such a strong word… I was thinking more along the lines of… Like-minded allies.”

“Like-minded allies, huh?” she repeats and turns back to the window. 

Having someone on her side, someone besides Zhan Tiri that is does sound appealing. She had hoped Varian would have been that someone, but he’s too loyal to Corona. He’s too loyal to _Rapunzel._ She needs someone who has no ties to Corona, someone who wants to watch it burn just as much as she does. And unfortunately, there’s only one person who fits the bill. She sighs heavily with annoyance. 

“I might know someone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh boy oh boy I wonder who Cass knows oh boy oh gosh who could it beeeeeeee?


	20. Chapter XX: Reaching Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra reaches out to an old acquaintance and Varian gathers some supplies before the cold sets in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uh..... Hi. i'm... Still here. I just... I have no explanation I'm sorry.
> 
> This chapter a little on the shorter side and it was gonna be longer but I decided to change the structure a bit and maybe go back to my shorter chapter format so I'll update more often... Let's hope so!

A crisp autumn breeze blows through Corona, carrying on its fallen leaves and the reminder that winter is but around the corner. It sends a shiver down Rapunzel’s spine and prompts her to scoot closer to Eugene in the gazebo.

“It’s colder than I thought it would be today,” she says, smiling when Eugene rubs some warmth into her arms.

It wasn’t cold, per se, but perhaps eating outside was a bad call. But! It was a rare morning when everyone had time to spare, so what's a chilly breeze to stand in the way of quality time with friends?

“It’s going to be a bad winter,” Varian grumbles, picking up his cup of tea.

“Great, bad winter means lots of snow,” Eugene chimes in bitterly. “Can’t wait.”

“Well, it can’t be worse than _last_ winter,” Lance comments. “I mean that blizzard was one for the history books—” He trails off into a nervous laugh when he’s met with three unamused looks.

“Anyway,” Varian sets his cup down and stands from the gazebo. He grimaces with mild discomfort as his ribs ache. “I’m off to Mount Saison,” he announces, walking around the table. “The three-leafed echo plant is as fragile as it is rare and I need to get as many as I can before the first frost sets in and kills them.”

“Need any help, little buddy?” Lance asks him, and Eugene raises an eyebrow.

“You’re the thief in today’s drills, Lance, you’re not getting out of it.”

“I’m not trying to get out of anything,” he argues. “I’m just showing concern for our accident-prone friend.”

“Well, this accident-prone friend of yours has saved your life how many times now?”

“So, you admit you’re accident-prone,”

Varian scowls, turning his attention to Rapunzel when she grabs for him. She pulls him down and kisses his cheek. “Don’t overwork yourself, Varian,” she warns as he rubs his cheek. “I don’t think Gladys would be too happy if you broke another rib.”

“And stay away from the edge of the cliff,” Eugene adds.

“No promises,”

Fallen leaves crunch under Cassandra’s feet as she makes her way to an inn not far outside of Corona’s main capital. She pulls her hood tighter around her when she passes some drunkards stumbling their way down the path. She peeks out from beneath her hood, glancing around at the small village just beyond the northern border. 

The village is practically a ghost town. Buildings with boarded-up windows lined the dirt path, a stray cat digs in a barrel for food. The trees are bare, the ground is dry and cracked, and the nearby river is far too low to provide much water for anything. If not for passing by the occasional person, one would think the village was completely deserted. She follows that path until something catches her attention from the corner of her eye; an old tree on a hill nearby. She should ignore it, but… Something about it draws her to it.

The tree has little leaves left on it, and those that were threatened to fall at the slightest of breeze. From one branch hangs a rope swing. She carefully sits on the wooden seat, closing her hands around the ropes, and gently pushes herself back and forth, her feet never leaving the ground.

A small smile tugs at her lips as she remembers a time when her feet couldn’t touch the ground. 

She remembers how the ropes were kind of scratchy on her palms, and the gentle touch on her back as someone pushed her. The laughter of children, the scent of fresh bread on the wind, the way her mother would scoop her up into her arms when it was time to go home…

Cassandra lets her hands drop into her lap and stares out at the village. This was once her home. She used to play on this swing while her mother went to the market. She played with the other children here. She had a _life_ here, and it was taken away in one fell swoop, and she doesn’t know who to blame anymore.

She could blame Rapunzel. After all, it was her fault her parents were arrested. But… Blaming Rapunzel doesn’t _feel_ right anymore. She was a baby, it’s not like she _asked_ for some deranged mad woman to kidnap her and lock her in a tower for the majority of her life. It’s not like she _asked_ her father to arrest her parents…

The sound of the crunching of leaves behind her pulls her from her thoughts and she straightens her back.

“Andrew,” she greets him without turning to face him. She can almost see the grin on his stupid face.

“Gotta say, I was surprised to get your letter,” a male voice says and Cassandra rolls her eyes. “I knew you’d miss me.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” she scoffs, already regretting her choice to come here. “I’m here to talk about business.”

“You’re not here to arrest me again are you?” he demands. “Look, all I did was try to steal a dusty old book. I served my time—”

“Oh, shut up, _Hubert_ ,” she uses his true name and turns to him, satisfied to see the scowl on his face. “I’m not here about that.”

Andrew eyes her suspiciously, crossing his arms over his chest. “Then why are you here?”

“I want you and your buddies to help me lay siege to Corona,”

Varian shivers as another cold breeze hits him. He pulls his jacket tighter around him, smiling as Ruddiger’s fur bristles from the cold, his tail serving as a scarf from where he was perched on his shoulders.

It’s been a week since Varian took up residency at the castle again, and since then he’s been released from the infirmary and could get back to work on his experiments again. Granted, everyone still wanted him to take it easy, but they didn’t hover as much as he thought they would and he was still able to do just about everything he wanted in his lab.

He’s been able to test the various theories he’s come up with as well as start building the various machines from Demanitus’ Journal. Occasionally, Eugene and Lance will come to assist him, and while he enjoyed the company, little progress was made on those days. Sometimes he’s joined by Angry and Catalina, with Catalina being the only one of the two to actually be interested in _learning_ something rather than blowing something up. Rapunzel would try and join in whenever she had free time, but anymore those days are few and far between and she’s busy all throughout the day with her princess duties.

As the boy and his furry companion make their way to the mountain, Varian thumbs his way through the Demanitus Journal. He stops on one of the pages he has marked. The page consisted of notes regarding Zhan Tiri.

“A sorcerer or unknown origin bent on destruction,” He reads. He’s read the entry so many times he has it memorized. But it’s all he has to go off of here. “Capable of shapeshifting, sorcery, dream manipulation, possession…” He trails off, groaning, and closes the book. “What does she even _need_ the Sundrop and Moonstone for? She’s already powerful in her own right…”

Ruddiger chitters from his shoulder, sniffing at the air and flicking his tail. Varian stuffs the book back in his pack before looking up at the cloudless autumn sky and coming to a halt. The rock tower looms in the distance, an ever-constant reminder that the worst has yet to come.

“Well, regardless of what she plans to do with them, I’m going to stop her before she has the chance,” he says firmly. “I have too.”

But _how_? That’s the question that keeps him awake at night, that’s always at the back of his mind.

There’s the machine Demantius built to banish her to another realm, but how good can it work if she still managed to cause trouble in this one? Besides, that’s only a temporary fix. He needs to find a way to stop her once and for all. Make it so she _can’t_ come back, physically or not, and cause trouble again.

Varian picks up a random stick, handling it like a sword. What training he’s had with Adira and Hector could only take him so far. He could barely hold his own against the Baron. It was by sheer dumb luck he managed to survive.

He swings the stick, slashing through the air and earning a _swish_ in response, and he frowns. What on _earth_ makes him think he can challenge a demon to a fight and _win?_

Maybe if he knew more about her. More of what makes her tick, use it against her to get the upper hand…

He asked Adira what she knew, and outside of legends readily available to him through Demanitus’ journal, she didn’t have anything to share. Not even _Xavier_ , Corona’s leading expert in myths and legends knew much about her.

Varian hears a twig snap followed by a hiss of pain and Ruddiger’s fur bristles with alarm. Dropping the stick, he follows the sound, light on his feet and one hand around a vial attached to his belt. His breath hitches.

Cassandra’s mother— _His_ mother, Eden, is on her knees in front of a berry bush, a basket full of various plants and other berries at her side, examining her thumb where she must have pricked herself on a thorn.

He shuffles his feet, and Ruddiger croons at him. He hasn’t had a chance to speak to her since the incident at the tower. Gladys wasn’t… Fond of her and wouldn’t let her stay after getting her injuries patched up, and while he would see her around the market, he never could bring himself up to talk to her.

_You should go say hi,_ he can hear Rapunzel’s voice now.

He _should_ go say hi. She’s his _mother_. Yes, she left him when he could barely walk, but she’s still his mother. So he should say hi. But she’s busy right now and he shouldn’t disturb her. He needs to go to Old Corona anyway. It’s fine. They can talk later.

He freezes when he realizes she’s spotted him, a soft smile on her face. He smiles sheepishly at her and gives her a small wave. “H-Hi.”

“Hi,”

Varian absentmindedly shifts through the berry bushes, collecting the fruit and dropping them in the basket. He steals a glance at his mother, watching as she tucks a lock of hair behind her ear before returning to her foraging.

He slows down, no longer paying attention to the task at hand as he continues to watch her. He still has trouble wrapping his head around it. That his mother was alive and within arms reach. That she’s not the woman in the painting.

Well… She _is_ the woman in the painting… Just… Disguised. 

Varian’s face turns hot when he realizes he’s staring at her and turns back to the berry bush. He stared at her before, when they were leaving the tower. He stared at her until he couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore, burning her image into his mind. 

She has his hair, her eyes, his nose… Even his freckles… But he can still see a lot of Cassandra in her too. Her face wasn’t quite as round, but the shape of her eyes, the way her hair has a slight curl to it, and her overall build are the same as Cassandra’s.

He still doesn’t quite know how to feel about this. He wants to talk to her. To tell her about everything he’s seen and done since she’s been gone. To ask her questions.

But he also wants to yell at her. Yell at her for never being there for him. For leaving his father. For leaving Cassandra. For hurting both his father and his sister like she did.

He has to wonder if this is how Eugene felt when he first met Edmund…

Varian picks another bunch of berries and goes to drop them in his basket. Does he even need bimberries? None of his solutions require it, not even as a dye… Maybe he’ll use them to make some more paint for Rapunzel…

“How are your ribs?” Eden asks suddenly, pulling him from his thoughts.

“Huh? Oh, um… They’re fine,” he says nervously. Why is he nervous? “I-I mean, I, uh, made my injury a little worse about a week ago by getting into a fight, but… I’m fine, they only hurt if I overdo it.”

“I can make you some more of that elixir if you need it?” she offers. “That’s actually why I’m here… Bimberrys can help relieve pain and it’s a primary ingredient in quite a few of my elixirs and ointments.”

Varian rolls one of the plump fruits between his finger and thumb. “Relieve pain huh?” he hums. “I wonder if I added some to the truth serum if it would keep it from causing pain…” he drops the berry into his basket and pulls out a notebook, flipping through it until he finds the page he’s looking for and pulls a pencil from his apron.

“Of course adding something new to the formula will change it drastically… And there’s the matter of how much to add… I’ll need to make multiple batches to test until I have the desired effect…” he pops one of the berries into his mouth and his nose scrunches. “They’re on the bitter side so they should cut through the sweetness of the echo plant…”

“Be careful not to use too much,” Eden advises and he looks at her curiously, finding a fond smile on her face as she reminisces about a time long gone. “It’ll make your limbs numb. Found that one out the hard way.”

“Right…” Varian turns back to his formula. “Oh! Um, you could- I mean… It was your-” he stumbles over his words, face turning red with embarrassment. He holds the notebook out to her. “H-How much do you suggest I use?”

Eden takes the book from him and reads what’s on the page. “A three-leafed echo plant, valerian, passionflower…” her eyebrows knit together. “This recipe is very similar to a mood potion I made when I was younger…”

“That’s uh… That’s because I um... Modified it… To make a truth serum,” Varian admits, avoiding her gaze. “I… I hope you don’t mind…”

“No! Not at all!” she says and he looks at her. “I’m very impressed, in fact.” she smiles and his chest swells with pride.

“You… You are?”

“Of course,” she smiles brightly. “Making something as complicated as a genuine truth serum is no easy feat.” She hands the notebook back to him. “I can’t even begin to tell you how incredible you are.”

“Incredible might be a bit of a stretch,” Varian mumbles bashfully. “I’m just… Varian.”

Eden hums. “Maybe I’m a little biased, but you’ve been incredible since the day you were born.” The regret laced in her tone completely contradicts the smile on her face.

Things go silent between them again, Varian checking his notes again while Eden fiddles with a strand of hair.

“You were early, you know,” she says suddenly. “And you were so… So _Tiny._ You could easily fit in just one of your fathers' hands. I had never seen him so happy. We were happy.” her smile falters and she mumbles, “I never thought I could be happy again…”

“Then why did you leave?”

It’s a simple question. One that’s been gnawing at Varian’s brain ever since he found out she was still alive. Maybe the letter said why, but he doesn’t have it anymore. Even if he did, he wants to hear it from her. He deserves that much, doesn’t he?

“I tell myself it was because I was trying to protect you and your father, but…” Taking a shaky breath, Eden lets her hands rest in her lap. “Your sister was right, I was only trying to protect myself. I knew if I allowed myself to become too comfortable, they would find me. So I left before they had the chance.”

“Dad would have protected you,” Varian tells her. “He’s a… He was a knight… He would have… You could have…”

“I could have stayed,” she finishes for him. “I know. I should have, but… I was selfish, and in being selfish I hurt you, and I—”

“You didn’t hurt me,” he interrupts. “You hurt Dad. You- You really hurt Cassandra. I didn’t- I didn’t know you like they did.” Ruddiger hops down from his perch on a tree branch and noses his way under Varian’s hands and in his lap. “You didn’t give me the chance.” The raccoon croons as the boy runs his fingers through his fur, pawing at him comfortingly.

“You’re right,” Eden says after a few moments. “I didn’t give you the chance, and I’m sorry.” she takes another breath. “Varian, I’m… I’m not going to ask you to forgive me, but… If you wanted, I would love to get to know you.”

“I’d like that too,” he mumbles. “But,” Varian looks at her with pleading blue eyes. “Please just… Be honest with me.”

“Of course I will,” she assures him. “I prom—.”

“Don’t,” he cuts her off, staring at her intently. “Don’t make me any promises.” No one ever keeps their promises to him, why would she be any different? He looks away from her, his hair hanging in his eyes. “Please just… Don’t.”

“Then… How does ‘I’ll try’ sound?” Eden offers and Varian turns to her again. She smiles gently. “I’ll try to be honest and open with you, and…” Her cheeks turn pink and she nervously begins fiddling with her hair. “I could try and be a mom too… If you want.”

A smile tugs at Varian’s lips. “That sounds nice.”

Eden smiles and turns back to the berry bush. “Now, will you tell me about some of the other things you’ve made?”

From Varian’s lap, Ruddiger sees his boy's face light up and he begins going over his various experiments with the woman below. The raccoon stretches out his paws and curls up to settle down for a nap.

They’re going to be here for a while.

“So, let me get this straight,” Andrew begins, eyeing Cassandra suspiciously. “You expect me to believe that the goody-two-shoes daughter of the captain of the guards and best friend of Princess Goody Goody suddenly wants to take over the kingdom? Come on, Cassie, I’m not that stupid.”

“Okay first of all,” Andrew gulps and jumps back when a sword is suddenly pointed at his throat. “ _You_ don’t get to call me ‘Cassie’, got it?” he nods and Cassandra lowers her sword. “Second, the captain isn’t my…” she hesitates. “He’s not my real father. My father and mother both are… Were Saporian. They were arrested the night the princess was taken and I’d been with the captain of the guard ever since.”

“Yeah, Saporian children being kidnapped and raised Coronan isn’t all that uncommon, so I’ll buy that one.”

Cassandra’s mouth turns dry when he says the word ‘kidnapped’. She can’t really call being abandoned by her mother the same as being kidnapped. But, he doesn’t really need to know that part.

“But, that still doesn’t answer why the best friend of the princess suddenly decided to change sides.”

“Rap— The princess and I were never friends. Not really, anyway,”

“You almost sound sad about that,” Andrew comments, quickly clearing his throat when she glares at him. “Anyway… Why should I believe you?”

“I guess you can’t,” She admits with a shrug. “But we both want the same things. We’ve both been fucked over by Corona. We have the same enemies and you know what they say; the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

Dark eyes narrow, studying her face for any sign of deceit. “You know you’ve lied to me before, why is this time any different?”

“Because this time I’m on your side,” she answers.

the ins and outs of the kingdom,” she continues. “I know Corona’s _weaknesses_ , everything you wanted that journal for, I know like the back of my hand.”

Andrew crosses his arms, tapping his forefinger on his bicep, but he doesn’t say anything. Cassandra looks at him, she can see the gears turning in his head, but he still isn’t sold on the idea. She stands from the swing and turns to take her leave.

“But, if you don’t _want_ that information anymore,” she pulls her hood tighter around her and walks away. “I’m sure I can find someone else who does.”

“Hang on a minute,” he says and she smirks. “You’re serious about this? This isn’t just some ploy to get us all arrested?”

“I’m dead serious,” Cassandra turns back to him. “Rapunzel took everything from me. _Corona_ took everything from _us_ , and I think it’s high time we started taking back what’s ours.”

Andrew smirks and he uncrosses his arms. “Welcome to home, Cassandra.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *fortnite dances*
> 
> Cass is making new friends
> 
> Good for her :)
> 
> so hopefully I'll update again before the end of the year, if not, have a happy holiday and lets hope 2021 gets a little better for all of us


	21. Chapter XXI: What Comes Next?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra doesn't know what to do now that she's allied with the Saporians. The Captain doesn't know what to do with himself or his men, and Varian doesn't know what to do about Zhan Tiri.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No one knows anything in this chapter. Not a single one of them. Least of all me.
> 
> Which isn't good because I'm the one writing this.
> 
> also happy new year and happy birthday to my mom ♥

Cassandra may not have been expecting much when she decided to seek out the Separatists of Saporia, but she _had_ been expecting there to be more people instead of a measly five. So to say she’s thrown for a loop when Andrew introduces her to them is an understatement.

“That’s Juniper over there,” he says, nodding his head to a young woman sharpening a short sword. “She’s one of our better fighters.”

“Is this that girlfriend of yours you’ve been going on about?” Juniper asks with a sly grin, and Cassandra scowls.

“It’s complicated—”

“No,” Cassandra cuts him off and he frowns.

“Right, anyway,” Andrew clears his throat and turns to a larger man, built much like one of the thugs Rapunzel hangs around. “This is Kai,” One look at him tells her that he’s the muscle of the group.

“And then there’s Clementine, and Maisie, our two senior members. Clementine here’s our spell and potion master, and Maisie is our informant.”

Cassandra looks at the two. They’re both older, and both of them look vaguely familiar to her. Maisie more so than Clementine. She’s seen him around the city, chatting and gossiping with the townsfolk, and now she knows he’s been gathering new information to bring back to the others.

She turns back to Andrew and raises an eyebrow. “Is this everyone?”

“Yeah, this is everyone,” he says, heaving a sigh. “Your parents weren’t the only Saporian’s arrested after the princess was taken.”

“Oh,” Cassandra crosses her arms. “Right.” Of course, they’d suspect the Separatists as a whole and go after the other members rather than _just_ her parents. Why wouldn’t they? She catches Maisie staring at her and she raises an eyebrow. “Something the matter, old man?”

“No, no,” he raises a dismissive hand. “I’m just not sure if we can trust you. You _were_ raised by the captain of the guards, after all.”

“Look, I frankly don’t give a shit if you trust me or not, but I’m not a rat.”

“That’s good,” Andrew says, putting a hand on her shoulder.“Because traitors to Saporia pay with their lives,”

“Is that a threat, _Hubert?_ ” she challenges, hearing Juniper snicker in the background.

“Not at all, _Cassie,_ ” he raises his hands and takes a step back when she forms a wrist blade from the rocks on her armor. “After all, you’re one of _us_ now. Right?”

A tense silence fills the space between them. Is she really one of them? Sure, she’s on their side, but… She’s only here because Zhan Tiri believes she needs the extra manpower, and she’d rather keep the demon satisfied than have her body hijacked again. But with a measly five people, she may as well be storming Corona alone.

Taking a deep breath, she retracts the blade on her wrist and nods, earning satisfied smiles all the way around. “Yeah, I’m one of you.”

“Then you have nothing to worry about,” Andrew shoots her a grin. “Now, let's hear this plan of yours.”

Eugene stands before the royal guards with his arms crossed over his chest and a look of disappointment on his face. The men sitting before him avoid his gaze, looking elsewhere or at their hands or feet.

“So,” he begins, clearing his throat. “Do any of you want to explain to me what exactly went wrong today?”

“We, uh, let Lance get away?” Pete offers.

“Yes, but do you know _how_ he got away?” He’s answered with silence and he sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “It’s because you aren’t taking this seriously! _None_ of you were prepared for this! What are you going to do if someone like Ca—” his voice gets caught in his throat and the guards shift nervously in their seats. He clears his throat again. “What are you going to do if an _actual threat_ comes along and does more than steal some bed pillows?”

Again, he’s met with silence and he heaves another, more aggravated sigh. “Seriously, guys! I know things have been relatively peaceful since Rapunzel came home, but you’re slacking off and it shows!"

Outside the room, the captain of the guard listens as Eugene lectures his men. Every word, every criticism, and every accusation stings. Because it’s _true_.

His men have been slacking off ever since the princess returned after all those years. Their performances have become sloppy, and his once competent men couldn’t even apprehend someone who was hardly even trying.

Hell, for that matter he and his men couldn’t even catch two little girls.

Not only does his men becoming so incompetent paint himself as a leader in a bad light, but it paints Corona in a bad light. He puts his hand to his temple, rubbing away his oncoming headache when he hears Eugene snap at one of his men. 

How can he call himself captain when his men are so ill-prepared for a simple drill?

He sighs heavily and pushes himself away from the wall. He needs some air. Maybe that will help him clear his head and come up with a new training regimen to whip his men back into shape.

The market place is the same as ever. Everywhere he goes, the captain is met with the utmost respect from shopkeepers and customers alike. The people have held him in high regard ever since he took the position. But, now he hardly feels he deserves it.

From the corner of his eye, he sees a familiar head of black hair and he does a double take. For a brief moment, he thought it was his daughter— but no, it’s her mother, Eden. The captain perks up upon seeing his dear friend. Maybe she can offer him some advice, or tell him he’s being stupid and he has nothing to worry about, that he’s a fine leader. But then he notices she's already engaged in a conversation with her son.

The boy is talking a mile a minute, very animated at that too, moving his hands with each word as he undoubtedly went on about one of his experiments.

It brings a smile to his face until he sees the boy wince in pain when he laughs a little too hard at his own joke. Suddenly, the captain finds himself wracked with guilt. Not only was the boy injured by his daughter, but his injuries were also only made worse when he, Fitzherbert, and Strongbow had to rescue themselves from their kidnapper due to his own incompetence.

What kind of a guard, let alone the _> captain_, leaves hostages to fend for themselves?

“Roy?” the sound of his name pulls him from his thoughts, and he turns to the mother and son. Eden smiles at him with concern. “Is everything alright?”

The captain clears his throat. “Everything’s fine, Eden,” he answers. “I just have things on my mind, is all.”

“Anything you want to talk about?” She offers, and the boy at her side deflates.

“No, no, it’s quite alright,” the captain lies. He’s fine. Really! It just works stuff, he doesn’t need to worry a civilian with it. Plus, it’s evident by the slightly disappointed look on the boy's face that he still wanted to spend time with her. “Really, it’s fine.”

Eden smiles and nods with a light chuckle. “If you insist,”

The captain’s gaze turns to Varian. It’s evident he wants to say something but he’s biting his tongue. Not that he can blame him, the few times they had interacted in the past weren’t exactly… Pleasant.

Another wave of guilt hits him as the memory of this boy, pressed up against the wall, hiding behind his daughter as she fended off the men who were hunting him like a wanted criminal. As she fended off _his men_ who were hunting him over a piece of paper…

He clears his throat. “Something on your mind, son?” he asks, trying to distract himself from the memory.

“O-oh, um, it’s nothing special really,” Varian stammers, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s just, uh, I um, I designed an alarm system?” He says, but he himself doesn’t sound so sure. “Y-you know, in case of intruders. And- And I wanted to ask you if it would be worth building?”

The captain hums. A fair warning would indeed help his men be more prepared. And it would take many criminals who were planning a surprise attack off guard by removing the element of surprise.

“Well, something like that would certainly be useful,” Especially with Cassandra being unpredictable… “If you can show me a prototype I’ll take it into consideration.”

Varian perks up. “Really? I mean, yes sir!” He puts his hand to his chin and thinks for a moment. “It’ll take me a few days to get everything ready, but I should have everything ready by the end of the week, sir!”

The captain nods in approval and Varian starts listing off what he’ll need for it, wandering towards the castle. “Some scrap metal should work fine, I should still have enough that I salvaged from the Demantius Chamber… I’ll need to make a new batch of Flynnolium… Oh, I’ll need to calibrate the cylinder... ” he comes to a stop and turns back to his mother, and starts wringing his hands together. “Would… Would you like to come? I could use some extra hands…”

Eden seems taken aback by the sudden request but she smiles nonetheless. “I’d be happy too, Varian,” she answers and his face lights up. He takes her hand and pulls her along to the castle, with all the excitement of a child. She turns back and waves at the captain, who smiles and waves back at her.

The captain watches them until they disappear into the crowd, and he lets out a sigh. He glances at the ever looming tower in the distance, a stone settling in his stomach.

His men are ill-prepared for an attack from anyone, but if _Cassandra_ were to attack then… He turns away from the tower and clenches his fists. He carries on with his walk, passing by the many lives he feels he can no longer keep safe.

“And that’s the gist of it,” Cassandra says with a sigh. There wasn’t much to her plan. Just storm Corona, drive everyone out with her rocks, back Rapunzel into a corner and take the power of the Sundrop for her own. Simple enough.

“Why don’t you just use those rocks of yours to destroy Corona once and for all?” Andrew asks. “You have the ability to put an end to Corona for good, so why go through all the extra effort to take that Sundrop thing from the princess?”

“Rapunzel took everything from me, and I plan to take everything from her,” she answers. “Her home, her family, her _destiny._ ”

“And then what?” Juniper questions. “You get the Sundrop and then what will you do?”

“I—” Her voice dies in her throat. What _is_ she going to do with the Sundrop? If she’s honest, she hasn’t put much thought into it. Soon she’ll have the combined power of the sun and moon at her disposal, and she has no idea what she’ll do with it.

“If you really want to hurt the princess, I say you make her watch as you destroy everything she loves. Make her watch as you grind her precious Corona and precious citizens into sand.”

“I’m not going to hurt anyone,” Cassandra says firmly. “There’s no point in it.”

“You’re still thinking like a Coronan, Cass,” Andrew says, sitting up and leaning forward. “Think like a Saporian for a second, Corona’s more than a place, it’s also its people, and to destroy one we have to destroy the other.”

Cassandra bites the inside of her cheek. He’s right, a kingdom is more than a place, but… She doesn’t _want_ to hurt anyone… Sure, maybe at one time she did, but— And as much as she hates to admit that Rapunzel was right, taking her anger out on innocent people isn’t going to help.

She shakes her head. “Okay, sure, a kingdom is more than a place and also its people, but there are plenty of people, Coronan and Saporian alike, who are being fucked over by those in power as we speak,” she pauses. “Do you really think they deserve to die?”

“If it means wiping that shit hole off the map, I don’t really care who has to die for it.”

Cassandra’s throat tightens at the statement. These people… They were willing to kill hundreds of people, even some of their own, over a centuries old land dispute? Sure, she understands that they’re angry, they’ve been screwed over ever since the war, she _gets_ it. But to be willing to go so far…

“Those people… They don’t deserve—”

“Don’t they?” Andrew challenges. “The Coronans have done nothing but take from us; our land, our homes, our _children_ ,” he gives her a pointed look. “And the Saporian’s who live their happy lives in Corona turned their backs on us. They’re nothing more than lousy traitors, and it’s like I told you, _traitors to Saporia pay with their lives._ ”

Cassandra swallows hard and turns away from him. Maybe this was a bad idea.

A small flame flickers beneath a beaker of a pale green liquid. Besides the burner, Varian flips through his notes. He already drew up some schematics for his new device, so all he has to do now is build it, and make some more Flynnolium. Easy.

So why is he nervous? It can’t be because his mother is there to assist him. He has people in and out of his lab all the time. Maybe it’s because he’s doing this for the captain? Cassandra always said he was hard to impress, and sure he’s a little intimidating, but, he’s no worse than _his_ dad.

He jumps nearly a foot off the ground when a hand is placed on his shoulder. “Varian?” he turns to his mother, soft blue eyes looking at him with concern. “Varian, are you alright? You’ve been staring at your desk for five minutes now.”

He blinks. “I have?” he lets out a light laugh. “Oh, um, yeah I’m fine.” Clearing his throat Varian picks up a flask and a dropper. “I’m just… If I mess this up then…” he trails off and pinches the bridge of his nose. “The captain’s counting on me and I don’t want to let him down.”

Eden hums. “Roy can be hard to impress but, I’m sure you won’t let him down. Besides, you’re doing this to help Corona, that in itself is admirable.”

“Yeah, but I’m the one who put it in danger to begin with,”

“That’s not—”

“Yes it is!” he snaps, jerking away from her. “Cassandra wouldn’t have the incantation if it weren’t for me! I gave it to her and now she has the power to destroy everything with the flick of her wrist!” Tears well in his eyes and he turns away from her. “What’s worse is that Zhan Tiri’s just pushing her along and making everything worse, and I don’t know how to stop her!”

Varian hides his face in his hands. “Demanitus is counting on me to stop her. He entrusted me with his legacy! Everyone’s counting on me, but I’m just… All I do is let people down.”

Eden stands perfectly still, her hands hovering and unsure what to do. Her chest aches when a muffled sob escapes the boy in front of her, and without thinking, she pulls him into an embrace. Varian tenses up at first but seconds later he’s hugging her back, gloved fingers digging into the back of her blouse as she rubs circles into his back.

They stand there for a while until Varian pulls away from her, wiping his eyes and looking away. “S-Sorry…”

“There’s nothing for you to apologize for, Varian,” Eden assures him, her hands still on his shoulders, rubbing little circles into them with her thumbs. “I didn’t know you had so much pressure on you… Is everyone really expecting all these things from you?”

She sounds angry, and if her temper’s anything like Cassandra’s then… He shakes his head. “N-No, I just… I-I gave Cassandra the incantation and I… I have to clean up my mess.”

“So you’re putting yourself under all this pressure…” Eden mumbles. “You know you don’t have to do everything alone, right? You have friends and family who I’m sure would be more than happy to help.”

“I-I know, but…” Varian pushes his hair back. He hasn’t talked to anyone about this. He’s been distracting himself with mindless projects and busy work; new, more effective cleaners for the maids, glow in the dark paints for Rapunzel, the replica of the Demanitus spear helping, Faith with her duties, running errands for just about anyone in the castle… He was practically a staff member at this point. 

He knows all he has to do is ask for help if he needs it. He knows Rapunzel, Eugene, and Lance would drop everything if he needed them. But...

He rubs his eyes again. “I don’t want to burden anyone,” he admits quietly. “I made this mess, I should be the one to clean it up.”

Eden frowns and lets him go, allowing him to turn to his burner and adjust the heat before adding another chemical to the beaker. The liquid inside changes from a pale green to a bright, vibrant green that almost seemed to glow. She crosses her arms and steps forward.

“Well… Why don’t you at least let me help you?” she offers. “I mean… This is my mess too, isn’t it? So it’s only fair I help clean it up.”

“What do you mean…? How is any of this…” Varian pauses. “Okay, i>maybe this wouldn’t be happening if you had done things differently, but…” he trails off, staring at his notes.

“I just don’t know what to do,” he admits after a few moments. “I’ve hit a roadblock and if I don’t find a way to work through it, it could be disastrous.”

“Is it anything I could help with?” Eden offers. “I mean, if you wanted, that is.”

Varian thinks for a moment. Would it be fair to drag her into this? Sure she’s involved on Cassandra’s part, being the catalyst for her betrayal, but… He looks back at her and she smiles.

“Do you… Do you know anything about the demon known as Zhan Tiri?”

“Zhan Tiri?” Eden hums and closes her eyes, tilting her head back as she thinks. “Well, I never bought into all the myths and legends surrounding her, but once long ago ancient Saporia revered her as a god.”

“A god—” Varian sputters. He stands up straight, the very idea of something so ludicrous pushing away his doubts from just moments ago. “You have got to be- You know what, no, that explains a lot, actually.”

“That’s just one of the old Saporian myths,” she continues. “Some of the myths say she was just an ordinary sorceress whose followers worshiped her as a god, some say she’s from another world entirely, but all of them say she taught the early Saporian’s magic.”

“What else can you tell me?”

“Honestly, that’s all I know,” she admits. “You’d be better off to ask Luis…” she mumbles and starts picking at her fingers.

“Where can I find him?”

“Oh, no, he’s… He’s gone.” She answers and he deflates. “But, his books may still be… They should still be there…”

Varian stands up suddenly. “Then let’s go!”

“Go?”

“Yeah, Varian and- and…” he clears his throat and laughs nervously. He doesn’t know what to call her. He can cry into her shoulder, but he doesn’t know what to call her. Typical Varian. “A good old fashioned bonding road trip… It’ll be fun.”

“I-I don’t know,” she stands up. “It’s all the way in Little Saporia and the trip is at least two days' time, and… I don’t think they’d be all that happy to see me, Varian.”

“I can protect you,” he says with earnest. “I-I may not be as good as a fighter as Dad, or Aunt Adira or Uncle Hector, but… I know how to use a sword, I-I know I don’t exactly have one on me,” he mumbles, looking around the room. “But- But I have my alchemy with me! And…” he trails off.

“That’s sweet of you Varian, but… I don’t think it’s such a good idea. You could get hurt.”

“No one there knows I exist, and- and it’s been what? Twenty years since you’ve been back? Who's to say anyone will recognize you anyway?”

Eden hesitates. He has a point, she admits, and he looks so eager to spend time with her, to bond with her, as he said. How can she say no to something like that? “Alright,” she says, sighing with defeat. “The house is on the outskirts of the village anyway… We should be able to get in and get out without anyone noticing.”

Varian perks up and turns the burner off just as the beaker is beginning to boil. He gathers up some of his things; namely his alchemy bombs and a few vials filled with various chemicals. 

“Great! Lead the way!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Varian and Mom, going on a road trip hell yeah


	22. Chapter XXII: Little Saporia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra begins to question herself and what she's doing, Rapunzel comes to accept the truth, and Varian just wants to learn some Saporian mythology.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes.... Exposition...

“So… What’s it like in Little Saporia?” Varian asks in an attempt to make small talk.

“It’s small, smaller than Old Corona, even,” Eden answers. “It’s a tight knit community, we… They… Look out for each other. If you needed anything, your neighbors would share with you what they had. If you fell ill or were injured they would help you with your housework or with the children until you were well again…”

Varian can hear the sadness in her voice as she trails off and his eyebrows pinch together. “That doesn’t sound like a bunch of terrorists…” he mumbles and she looks at him.

“Well, it’s not like _every_ Saporian is part of the movement,” she points out.

“You were,” Varian blurts out. “I-I mean— I _assume_ you were since they uh… You know…” he trails off and fixes his gaze on the ground. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing for you to apologize for,” she tells him. “I was part of the separatist movement. There was once a time I wanted to see Corona burn, for it to burn to the ground so Saporia could rise from the ashes, but… I’m not that person anymore.”

“What changed?”

A strained smile tugs at Eden’s lips. “Everything changed for me when Cassandra came along. My entire world view changed. I didn’t care about what happened between Corona and Saporia, all I cared about was making sure she grew up safe and happy.”

She frowns and comes to a stop, Varian turning back to face her as a cold breeze stirs up the fallen leaves around them. “But all I did, in the long run, was make things worse.”

“I don’t think you did,” Varian argues. “I mean… Cassandra _was_ happy. Well, okay, she wasn’t _happy_ happy, but she wasn’t unhappy either…” He trails off and frowns. “Or maybe she was unhappy… Cassandra never… She doesn’t talk about what’s bothering her. She keeps everything to herself until it becomes unbearable and now she’s being taken advantage of by a demon because of it.”

He loosens his collar and laughs bitterly. “I guess that runs in the family.”

Eden blinks and looks at him with curiosity. “I’m sorry, could you… Elaborate on that last part?”

Varian looks at her. “Um, it’s, uh… Kind of a long story.”

“We still have plenty of time before we get to Little Saporia, so why don’t you tell me on the way?”

“Oh, um, sure!” Varian nods and they start walking again. “You remember the blizzard we had about two years ago?”

“I do,”

“Good because that’s when our story begins,”

Leaves crunch under Cassandra’s feet as she aimlessly wanders the village. She needed some time to herself, some time to think about what she was going to do. She has absolutely no intention of hurting anyone. Sure, there’s no such thing as a peaceful takeover, but… She was only planning on chasing everyone out. Not kill them.

But, and as much as she hates to admit it… The Saporians bring up a good point. 

Even if she tears Corona to the ground, the people will rebuild and nothing will change. She wants to blur the line between the winners and the losers, between the chosen and the rest, to give the luckless the same chances and opportunities as the blessed.

At least… That’s what she’s been telling herself. 

She’s trying so hard to convince herself that she’s _not_ the villain. That she’s doing this for some greater good, and that everything will be better in the long run, but… No matter how hard she tries, that annoying little voice in the back of her head just won’t shut up and constantly tells her otherwise.

But _these_ people… Maybe she shouldn't be surprised. These are the same people who were willing to kill a housewife and her daughter because she gave a dying woman medicine; so them wanting to just go ahead and slaughter every single person who lives on Coronan soil shouldn’t be a shock.

But it still leaves a sour taste in her mouth, and she wants no part of it.

She sighs heavily and puts her head in her hands. Maybe she can call this whole alliance thing off. After all, it’s not like she _needs_ them. She’ll do more damage to the kingdom on her own.

She lowers her hands and looks up at the sky, the crispy autumn breeze blowing through her hair.

“Why am I doing this?”

“So you can fulfill your destiny,” a sudden voice answers. Startled, Cassandra jumps, and a small cluster of rocks grows at her feet. Her surprise fades into annoyance when she sees the small, familiar form of Zhan Tiri. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten that.”

“I haven’t, but—“

“You’re not having second thoughts again are you?” Zhan Tiri demands, her face darkening as her violet eyes flash green. A twisted smile split across her face. “Perhaps you need some assistance just as you did when you were facing the Sundrop?”

Cassandra swallows hard, mind flashing back to that night in her tower. She remembers how powerless she felt as she was forced to speak the decay incantation, how she had no control over her own body, the feeling of having this demon poking around in her head.

“No,” she says after letting out a shaky breath. “That won’t be necessary.”

“Good, good,” Zhan Tiri puts her hands together. “I know I don’t need to remind you that you’ve come too far to turn back now.”

“I know,”

With a satisfied hum, Zhan Tiri nods and turns away from her. “I’ll leave you to it then,” she says, and with a flash of light, she vanishes from sight.

Cassandra sighs once more and carries on with her walk. She wants to go home.

Rapunzel’s feet softly pad on the tile as she makes her way back to her room. She rubs at her temple, trying to ease her headache. If having tea with dignitaries has taught her anything; it’s that old ladies like to gossip. Even Pascal seems to have a headache... But, she’s free now and has nothing else planned for the day, and with everyone else busy, she can do whatever she wants.

She enters her room, closes the door, and leans on it with a relieved sigh. “Finally,” she marches over to her bed and falls forward on it, letting out a content sigh.

Pascal hops off her shoulder and crawls onto his pillow and yawns, stretching out his claws much like a cat. Rapunzel giggles and scratches his head with one finger. She then rolls over onto her back and stares up at her canopy, and stays there for a good long while and Pascal’s soft, squeaky snores fill the room.

She grows bored and starts kicking her feet a little before she sits up and walks over to her paint set. Rapunzel looks up at her mural, smiling at all the memories she’s recorded. Her smile falters upon seeing one painting, however.

It was dark, messy, with sharp edges, mostly black broken only by electric blue. She had painted it not long after the incident at the tower. It had been therapeutic for her at the time, but as she looks at it now, she realizes how horribly it clashes with the rest of the mural.

Rapunzel unties her hair, tosses it over one of the support beams in the ceiling, picks up some white paint, and hoists herself up. She dips her flat brush into the paint but hesitates to touch it to the wall. She stares at the crude painting of her…

She looks at some of the other paintings on her wall, happier, warmer memories immortalized there. It makes her heart hurt. Knowing that, no matter how badly she may want it, things will never go back to the way they were before, but…

Tears prick her eyes and she turns back to the dark painting and paints over the face, covering the angry bright blue eyes that glared at her with pure hatred in white.

But, maybe it’s for the best.

“And that’s why I can never step foot in Courmont ever again,” Varian says with a hint of nostalgia in his tone.

Eden hums with amusement. “Well, hopefully, you’ll never run into the Baron again.”

“Oh, we did,” Varian says bluntly and she stops to look at him. “About two weeks ago. He tried to drown us. But it’s okay, Eugene arrested him and he’s behind bars back in Corona.”

“I—” Eden’s voice gets caught in her throat. “Well, alright then.”

Varian clears his throat and scratches at his cheek. “But, enough about me, I, uh, I wanna know more about you.”

“About me, hm?”

“Yeah, surely you got into some trouble when you were my age.”

“On the contrary, I was pretty boring as a kid,” Eden admits and Varian deflates a little. She glances at him with a smile. “You must get your habit of getting into trouble from your dad.”

“Eh, according to Edmund and Uncle Hector I get my recklessness from him, so I guess that’s not out of the realm of possibility.” They both laugh at the statement, Varian’s laughter quickly dying down as he frowns. “Did… Did Dad ever tell you about… Who he was? Or where he came from?”

“No,” she answers. “I knew your father wasn’t originally from Corona, but he never told me much about his life before settling down here, and I never pried into his past, just as he never pried into mine.”

“So… You never told him about Cass?”

Eden shakes her head and pushes a strand of hair behind her ear. “I should have,” she says quietly. “There are so many things I should have done.” She looks up at the sky, the sunlight shining through the tree branches overhead. “But, as your father told me; there’s no point in dwelling on what I should have done. What matters is what I do now in the present, and try to make things right with you and your sister.”

Varian inches closer to her as they walk and he smiles. “Well, I can’t really speak for Cassandra, but… I think you’re doing a pretty good job.”

Eden smiles and looks ahead. “We still have some time before we reach Little Saporia,” she says. “Why don’t you tell me more about your adventures?”

“Right, so, where were we?”

By the time the duo reaches the village it’s already nightfall. Varian holds up one of his vials, the contents inside glowing and lighting their path. He lets out a breath, able to see it in the cold night air, and when he glances at his mother; she was shaking, albeit he wasn’t sure if it was from her nerves or the cold.

“We’re nearly there,” she says quietly, voice shaking. She takes his hand, holding it tightly. “Stay close to me, please.”

“Yeah,”

Varian lets her lead him through the quiet, near ghost town of a village. Ruddiger curls tighter around his neck, whimpering softly and he nuzzles him in an attempt to calm him and keep him quiet.

Eden leads him to an old house. The windows are boarded up, and the door practically hangs off its hinges. She reaches for the handle, stopping just before her fingers could brush against the brass.

“E-Eden?” Varian looks at her, seeing a distant look in her eye. “Are you okay?”

“What?” she blinks a few times. “Y-Yes, I’m fine. I just… I haven’t been in here since that night and… I don’t know, I’m… I’m scared of what’s on the other side of the door.” She laughs at herself. “Silly, isn’t it?”

“I don’t think so,” he answers. “I mean… I can’t go in the cellar anymore. I can’t even look at it without seeing…” he trails off and shakes his head, chasing away the visions of amber.

Varian squeezes her hand and gives her a reassuring smile. “But, if anything or anyone is in there waiting for you, well,” he shows her his glowing vial and winks. “This does more than just glow.”

Eden gives him a small smile and takes a breath. She grabs the door handle and pushes it open, flinching at the way the hinges groan in protest.

They step inside, Ruddiger hopping down from Varian’s shoulders and sniffing around on the floor. Eden pulls her hand free from Varian’s and blindly feels around on the mantle in search of something as Varian uses his compound to try and look around.

He hears the strike of a match and the room is filled with soft lantern light, allowing him to stow away his vial and for him to get a better look at the cottage.

The curtains are moth eaten, and every corner is filled with cobwebs, every shelf and everything on them covered in a thick layer of dust. There’s an overturned chair lies beside the fireplace, and a tea table lies on its side with a broken tea set beside it, evidence of the residents having been dragged from their home.

Varian goes to say something, but he stops himself. Instead, he follows his mother further into the cottage. He pauses when he kicks something on the floor and bends down to pick it up. It’s small, metallic and when he blows off the cobwebs he recognizes it as the cylinder of a music box. Ruddiger crawls back up his back, perching on his shoulder, and sniffs at it as Varian pops the gears back into place and gives the crank a turn; a soft tune filling the room.

Eden pauses at the sound, her fingers brushing against the spine of a book as tears fill her eyes.

“It’s pretty,” Varian comments, joining her at the bookshelf.

“It was your sisters,” she says quietly. “She took it everywhere she went. She couldn’t even sleep without it…” She sighs wistfully and pulls a book down from the shelf. She clears her throat and pulls another book down, balancing it on her arm, and mutters, “This should be everything…”

Varian’s lips press into a thin line and he places the cylinder into his bag so he can take one of the books and open it. The book is heavy and bound in leather, the pages old and the few pictures within it have faded over the course of time. He inches closer to her, leaning into the lantern light as he flips through the pages.

He squints at the pages. “It’s written in Saporian,” he mumbles, balancing the book in one hand and stroking his chin with the other. “But strangely enough, it’s nearly identical to the language the journal and scroll are written in…”

“So, you can read it then?”

“Yeah,” he turns another page. “It makes me wonder if modern Coronan is derived from the Saporian alphabet. I might have to look more into this later…”

Varian goes silent, his eyes scanning the pages of the book as he tunes the world around him out, and he makes no protest when Eden takes him by the sleeve and guides him to another room, and has him sit at a table before setting the lantern down. He can hear her shuffle around, and then there’s another strike of a match and more light fills the room.

“It’s getting late,” she comments and he hums absentmindedly before turning a page. Eden glances out the window through the space between the boards. She’s always hated this time of year. It gets dark so quickly, and with the temperature dropping, only a fool would try and travel at night… A stone settles in her stomach and she bites her lip. “We’re going to have to stay the night,” she says quietly.

Stars, the last night she spent in this house was still so fresh in her mind it may as well have been yesterday.

She remembers how Cassandra sat by the fireplace playing with her doll with her precious music box in her lap. How she herself was tending to a split lip given to her by her husband… She remembers the knock at the door, and the utter shock she felt when she saw _her_ on the other side.

‘ _Hello, dear,_ ’ she can vividly remember the woman greeting her as she pushed her way inside her home. She remembers standing there, dumbfounded as the woman greeted her daughter with a fake smile before turning back to her. ‘ _I’m here to collect that favor._ ’

“Aha—” Varian’s voice pulls her back to the present.

“Did you find what you were looking for?”

“Maybe,” he digs into his bag, pulling out his notebook and his pencil and he begins taking notes. “According to this passage; Zhan Tiri was once a regular human, a scholar in search of knowledge to better help her people.” His nose scrunches. “Zhan Tiri thinking of someone other than herself?” he scoffs. “Now _that’s_ a fairy tale if ever I heard one…”

He flips the page, glancing up for a second when his mother sits across from him. He begins tapping his pencil on his notebook. He perks up and lifts the book from the table. “This passage says Zhan Tiri during her pursuit of knowledge, she underwent a transformation that not only made her immortal, but immensely powerful, and that she would later teach the ancient Saporian’s magic to utilize against the Coronan invaders…” his eyebrows furrow with confusion. “Coronan invaders? But— But the war between Corona and Saporia wouldn’t take place for at least another six hundred years.”

“Saporia and Corona have been feuding for hundreds of years,” Eden responds. “Ever since the Coronans settled in what’s now known as Old Corona, it was just one dispute after another. Land, livestock, what have you.”

Varian hums and turns back to the book. “The Coronan history books never said anything about this, when it comes to Saporia, it only mentions the war during Her der Sonne’s reign.”

“If I’m honest, not even our history books cover much prior to the war, what I know was all passed down orally from generation to generation, and even then, everything’s so heavily tied to our mythology, it’s hard to say if any of it happened or not.”

“A lot of mythology is based in truth, so it’s highly likely that these disputes did happen,” Varian says. “But the problem with mythology, and even ancient history, is that if you weren’t there to see it for yourself you have no way of knowing the truth.”

He squints at the page. “If I’m reading this right then… She was just trying to help her people and it resulted in them worshiping her as a god…” he taps the pencil against his temple.

Is that why she’s going to such lengths to see Corona burn? To avenge her people? But she’ll be hurting them just the same, wouldn’t she?

“There has to be something else… Something I’m not seeing…” he mutters. “Think, Varian!”

“Hey,” Eden reaches over and puts a hand on his arm. “Don’t push yourself, Varian, you’ll figure this out.”

“You don’t know that,”

“I do know that,” she insists. “Varian, you’re a very brilliant young man—”

“You’re just _saying_ that because you’re my mom.”

“No, I’m not,” she argues. “Varian, your father showed me some of your inventions while I was in Old Corona, and… I was at the expo, so I’ve seen first hand what you’re capable of, Varian. Stop doubting yourself.”

Varian’s heart skips a beat. “Y-You were… You saw…” he struggles to form the right words. She was at the expo? She saw his presentation? He looked right at her when he addressed the crowd and he didn’t even know it! He thinks back to that day, trying to remember the faces in the crowd, but he draws a blank.

He lets out a shaky laugh and puts the book down on the table. “Wow, um… Heh, that’s—” he blinks away the tears welling in his eyes, a few spilling over. C’mon Varian, get it together! “That’s… Good to know.”

“Varian—”

“It’s, uh,” he clears his throat. “It’s stuffy in here… I’m going to get some air.”

Before Eden could say anything else, he stands up and marches outside, leaving both her and Ruddiger inside the cottage. He shivers when the cold air hits him in the face, but he otherwise ignores it and walks off in a random direction.

Why is he running away? He should be happy right? His mother was there to see his presentation! It does make him happy, but… He’s also angry? Sad? His own father wasn’t even there, but his estranged mother who he had spent his entire life thinking was dead was there… Funny how life turns out, isn’t it?

A hand drops on his shoulder and he whirls around, gripping one of his alchemy bombs. He relaxes when he sees his mother’s worried face.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have snuck up on you like that.”

Varian shakes his head. “N-No, I should have run off like that, I just…” he sighs and puts a hand in his hair. “I just got overwhelmed, I think.”

Eden goes to speak but her voice gets caught in her throat and she stares at something behind him. Varian turns, his eyebrows scrunching together when he sees two older people approaching them. Ruddiger hisses from his place on Eden’s shoulders, and Varian’s eyes dart around and he counts a third, fourth, and fifth person coming at them from all angles.

“Well, would you look at that?” one of them, a younger man smiles as he approaches them. His smile turns into a grin when Eden pulls Varian behind her.

“Seems our rat has finally come back to her nest.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wuh oh Eden's gotta face her past now I guess.


	23. Chapter XXIII: Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian and Eden have a nice chat with the Saporians

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaha can you guys believe I've been working on this au for almost a year wow

Andrew stares at the woman and the kid behind her. If he’s perfectly honest, he can only vaguely remember the woman; maybe he saw her once or twice when he used to help his mother out at her shop, but that was so long ago he can’t be certain. 

But Maisie and Clementine recognize her, and that’s enough for him.

He pays no mind as the raccoon with them runs off into the bushes as he focuses his attention on the kid… Baby faced, blue eyes and a mop of dark hair with two telltale blue streaks… No doubt about it. “You’re the princess’ little pet, aren’t ya kid?”

“And you’re the guy on my sister’s training dummy,” the kid says back. “Now what do you want?”

“Oh, we were just hoping to catch up with a dear friend is all,” Maisie answers for him. Andrew watches as the older man takes the woman by the arm, only for her to jerk herself free.

“Don’t make this harder than it has to be, Eden,” Clementine warns.

“I’m not,” she bites back. “I’m done running from you. Just… Let the boy go, he has nothing to do with this.”

Andrew clicks his tongue, his grin never leaving his face. “No can do, ma’am. The royal pet is just far too valuable to just let go.” All it takes is a snap of his fingers for Juniper and Kai to draw their weapons and for the pair to raise their hands in surrender. “Now, why don’t we go somewhere a little more… Private?”

Cassandra sits on the old swing near the market, rocking herself back with her heels firmly planted on the ground. She stares up at the crescent moon; watching as clouds roll by in the night sky, a sigh escaping her.

She can’t back out now. The demon made it very clear to her that if she had to, she wouldn’t hesitate to possess her again and force her to do what she wants. So either she does as she’s told like the good little pawn she is, or Zhan Tiri will _make_ her do as she’s told.

But… As the swing's rope creaks with her movement, she can’t help but picture what awaits for her back in Corona.

She rubs her throat and lets out a shaky breath. At least being a pawn is better than the alternative… 

The rustling of a bush pulls her from her thoughts, and her hand flies to the hilt of the shadow blade. Her grip falters when a raccoon runs out from the shrubs, and with a sigh, her hand falls back into her lap. She watches as the animal sniffs at the air before it catches her scent and turns to her with wide round eyes.

Cassandra’s eyebrows scrunch together as she and the animal stare at one another, the animal slowly getting closer to her. “Ruddiger…?”

The raccoons' ears twitch and it chitters at her, tail lashing from side to side with agitation. It scurries backward when she stands from the swing only to kneel and hold out one hand. “Easy there,” she says softly. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Sniffing the air again, the raccoon inches forward with caution and sniffs her hand. He sniffs her for a second more before nudging her with his snout.

A stone settles in Cassandra’s stomach. Ruddiger doesn’t stray far from Varian, so if he’s here then Varian must be too. She’s stricken with guilt. The last time she saw him she had literally put him in a cage and used him as bait after most likely giving him a concussion, drugging him, and slamming some rocks into his chest. Sure, Rapunzel said he was doing alright, but… She doesn’t want to face him.

She stands, gently nudging the raccoon away with her foot. “Go on, scram,” she orders, and the raccoon chitters at her angrily. “Get lost.”

Ruddiger hisses, looking at her with large eyes and doesn’t budge from his spot and she rolls her eyes. “I don’t have time for this." She goes to leave only for the raccoon to jump in front of her and she groans.

“Look,” Cassandra pinches her nose. “I’m sure whatever he’s gotten himself into he’s smart enough to get himself out of it.”

 _Unless he’s hurt._ She thinks, a tight frown tugging at her lips. She looks back down at Ruddiger, the animal staring up at her almost expectantly. Another groan escapes her lips and, defeated, she throws her hands up in the air. “Fine. Lead the way.”

Eden silently stares ahead as she and Varian are led to an old tavern. Of course, they would take them there… The tavern, short of someone’s home, was where meetings were held. 

A defeated sigh escapes her. She knew this day was going to come sooner or later, that one day her past would catch up to her. She accepted this the day she stopped running. She’s been mentally preparing herself for this for months now, but… She glances over to Varian, the boy trapped under the arm of the young man in charge. 

She had hoped she would be facing this alone.

She couldn’t tell if they knew he was her son or not, but even if they do, his connections to the royal family are valuable to them and should be enough to keep them from hurting him. Or at the very least keep him alive…

“I have to know,” the young man begins with a friendly smile. “What brings the princess’ pet all the way to Little Saporia, hm?”

“Research,” Varian answers. “And by the way, I have a name—”

“Varian, I know,” Andrew grins at Varian’s surprise. “We know _all_ about you.” They arrive at the tavern and they’re both shoved inside. Andrew releases the boy, and he takes a step back only to back into Kai. “You’re about sixteen, you lived in Old Corona until the princess _oh so graciously_ took you in after you killed your dad—”

“I didn’t kill him!” Varian snaps, voice cracking.

Andrew hums. “Yeah, I guess he did live, didn’t he? But you gotta admit; you thought you did.”

Varian’s shoulders slump and he looks away. He stays silent and Andrew hums loudly in thought, almost exaggerating. 

“What else is there?” he taps his chin, circling the boy like a predator would its prey. “Oh that’s right,” he stops right in front of him, clapping his hands down on his shoulders. “You’re one of us.”

“You weren’t as good at hiding as you thought you were,” Clementine comments, jabbing Eden in the ribs with her elbow and a cackle.

“I— But… But how? I changed my face, my name, how could you have—”

“Luis always pegged you as a flight risk,” Maisie cuts her off. “And after that stunt, you pulled with the royals… Well… He wanted a way to make sure you stayed in line.”

“So he had me charm your pendant,” Clementine continues, and Eden pulls the aforementioned pendant from her blouse and stares at it, eyes wide with realization.

“You’ve been tracking me…” She mutters. Her grip on the pendant tightens. “If you’ve been tracking me all this time, why didn’t you just kill me outright?”

Maisie’s the one to answer, “Because it was much more satisfying to watch you ruin your life all on your own.”

Varian’s taken aback when his mother lets out a laugh, watching as she puts a hand to her face as she does. He listens as her laughter becomes harsh and strained, tears pricking his eyes when the laughter turns into sobs.

His ears ring as the revelation hits him full force.

It’s all been for nothing. These past twenty years his mother had spent running and hiding… Abandoning Cassandra, leaving his father, leaving _him_... It had all been for nothing.

He feels Andrew snake his arm around his shoulders again in a mockery of an attempt to comfort him. “Man, that’s got to hurt,” he says and Varian stares blankly at the floor. “Not only did your mom just up and leave you, she did it for nothing. I bet she didn’t even tell you the reason why.”

“I.. She… To protect me…”

“Oh, she didn’t leave you to protect you,” Clementine says. “She left because she didn’t want to face the consequences of her actions like the coward she’s always been.”

“All she did was make medicine for a dying woman!” Varian argues. He’s suddenly gripped by doubt. What if there was more to the story..? What if she wasn’t telling him everything and keeping secrets?

What if she broke her promise?

He looks at her with pleading eyes. “That’s… That’s all you did, right?” He breaks free from Andrew’s hold and walks up to her, taking her hand. “Please tell me that’s all you did.”

Eden sniffles, wiping her eyes, and steels herself. “I… I aided in the princess’ kidnapping and let Luis take the blame.”

Varian releases her, staring at her with disbelief and backing away. He tries to speak; though he’s unable to find his voice. But thankfully, another voice, filled with fury, speaks for him as a few black rocks rip through the tavern.

“You did _what?_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know it's a little short but I felt this was a good place to end it
> 
> Next time; Flashbacks wahoo


	24. Chapter XXIV: The Past Never Dies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young mother is willing to do anything to save her baby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What up happy 1 year anniversary to the TTS Finale have an update to celebrate
> 
> Many thanks to Glacecakes for helping me with this chapter. Please go read her fics they're so good

“What do you _mean_ you aided in Rapunzel’s kidnapping?” Cassandra hisses. She closes the distance between her and her mother with three steps and grabs her by the collar of her blouse.

“Cass—” Varian flinches back when she shoots him a warning glare.

She turns back to their mother. “I want to hear what her excuse is. I want to know why she helped ruin the lives of countless people.”  
“I—” Eden’s voice catches in her throat. “I owed her a favor…” Cassandra’s eyes narrow at her, and she takes another breath. “She- She helped me when no one else would,” she continues. “But I swear, I didn’t know what she was planning, if I had, I never would have given her that horse.”

“Uh-huh, then why didn’t say anything when you found out what she had done?” Cassandra demands.

“I _did,_ ” her mother bites back. “I told them it was Gothel and where they could find her cottage, why else do you think I’m even here right now?”

Cassandra’s grip falters, but she quickly tightens it again. “That doesn’t change the fact you left my father to rot in prison for a crime you committed!”

“You’re right. It doesn’t,” Her expression hardens. “And if you’re expecting me to regret it, I’m sorry, but I don’t.”

Cassandra felt her blood boil. How could she just leave her husband to die for something she did and not feel a single ounce of regret? Did she hate him that much? Her memories of her parents together are near nonexistent, and what few she had are… Unpleasant; they’re full of shouting, fighting, her mother crying and telling her everything’s okay.

She shakes her head, chasing away the memory, and fixes her mother with a glare. “I want to know what Gothel could have _possibly_ done to justify what you’ve done.” The Moonstone flashes and the armor on her wrist turn into a blade which she points at the woman’s throat. “And I want the truth.”

Eden bites her lower lip. All eyes are on her. Everyone’s waiting to hear what she has to say. She takes a breath and hardens her expression. “Alright.”

_Eden ran. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, with a small bundle of blankets clutched to her chest. Her lungs burned and her heart pounded, her legs ached and she was running out of breath, but she couldn’t stop. Even as she stumbled over the uneven ground, and over her own feet she couldn’t stop. The bundle in her arms didn’t stir. It didn’t make a fuss, no matter how much she stumbled, it never once cried out and it made her stomach churn._

_But she kept running._

_She kept running until she finally reached her destination and ran up to the door, loudly pounding her fist on the hardwood as she tried to catch her breath. She kept knocking until the door opened and she was met with the disgruntled woman on the other side._

_The woman groaned. “What do you want?”_

_“I need- Please, she’s not—” she panted, eyes darting to the bundle in her arms; fresh tears welled in her eyes at the sight of blue lips. “She’s sick and—”_

_“Then take her to a doctor.”_

_“I have! He couldn’t do anything, and when I took her to Coronan doctors they turned us away. Please, she’s not— You’re the only one who can help now.”_

_The woman went to speak but Eden cut her off, “Please, you help people for favors, right? Whatever you want, I’ll do whatever you want, please just… Please save my baby.”_

_After a moment of silence, the woman grabbed a cloak and threw it on before taking the bundle into her arms. She clicked her tongue. “Wait here, I’ll do what I can,” she said and stepped outside. “Honestly, you’ve always been much more trouble than you’re worth.”_

_“There,” the older woman said. “She’s all better.”_

_Eden sobbed with relief when her baby, healthy as could be, was handed back to her. The baby squirmed and babbled, and the young mother couldn’t help but to press a kiss to one of her chubby cheeks, now so full of color when they had been so ghostly pale not even a few hours ago._

_“Oh, thank you!” she looked at the older woman, eyes filled with relieved tears. “Thank you so much!”_

_“Oh, it was nothing,” Gothel brushed her off. “Taking time out of my day to help you do the bare minimum required from a mother is exactly what I had planned.”_

_Eden let out a quiet laugh at the sarcastic tone and shifted the baby in her arms. “I’m sorry, I just… I didn’t know where else to go…”_

_“Clearly this is a reflection on_ me _and my prowess as a teacher if you can’t even manage to cure a simple fever.”_

_Eden wanted to argue that it was more than a ‘simple fever’, but she restrained herself and bit her tongue with a tight frown. She knew better than to argue with her. “Forgive me…”_

_“Oh, I’m just_ teasing _dear. I know I’m an excellent teacher,” Gothel said with a condescending smile. “Now about that favor…”_

_“Y-Yes! Whatever it is you want, I’ll do it, no questions asked.”_

_Gothel hummed and crossed the room to one of her mirrors to begin her usual preening. “Well, once I think of something I’ll come find you,” she gave a dismissive wave. “Take care now.”_

_“Oh, yes, I… Thank you, again. I… I’ll see you then.”_

A heavy silence fills the tavern. Cassandra stares at her mother, with wide eyes and disbelief. She frantically searches her face for any sign of deceit, for a single trace that she’s lying about the whole thing. But the longer she searches, her shock fades, and the angrier she becomes.

She says nothing, the Moonstone sparking on her chest as she releases the woman and storms out of the tavern. Distantly, she can hear someone call her name, but the ringing in her ears and the pounding of her heart drowns it out and her anger fades into guilt.

This is all her fault.

She hears her name again, but the voice in the back of her mind is louder and drowns it out once again.

If she hadn’t gotten sick then her mother never would have gone to _her_ for help. Her parents would both still be alive. Rapunzel never would have been… But she _did_ get sick. She got sick, and her mother was so desperate to save her that she went to _Gothel_ of all people and put herself in her debt.

“Cass—” She hears again, clearer this time, but her mind continues to race.

It’s because of her that her mother gave Gothel the horse. It’s because of her that her father was left to die in prison. It’s because of her so many lives were ruined in one fell swoop. It’s because of her the princess was kidnapped and spent the majority of her life in a tower. All of it was her fault.

She’s spent all this time blaming Rapunzel for taking away everything from her; her home, her family, everything, but it’s because of her in the first place that she lost everything.

“ _Cassandra!_ ” She whirls around, facing Varian who looks at her with concern. “Are you… Are you alright?”

She laughs. “Oh, yeah, I’m _great_. I only just learned that everything’s my fault and that if it weren’t for me none of this would be happening, why wouldn’t I be alright?”

“Cassandra,” Varian approaches her with caution, crossing his arms over his midsection, his ribs, she notes, as he does. “You’re not responsible for Rapunzel being kidnapped.”

“Yes, I am! Our mother gave that- that... That woman the horse she used _because_ of me! If I hadn’t gotten sick then Gothel wouldn’t have been able to take her!”

“You don’t know that!” he argues. “How do you know Gothel wouldn’t have found some other way to steal Rapunzel? How do you know she wouldn’t have gotten another horse?”

“I—”

“You are just as responsible for Gothel stealing Rapunzel as Rapunzel is responsible for Frederic stealing the flower.”

Cassandra’s shoulders fall and she turns away from him. “I know, I just…” she groans and crosses her arms. “I hate it when you’re right.”

Varian, rather pleased with himself, smiles and inches closer to her. “So… I’ll ask again, are you alright?”

Cassandra doesn’t answer him. It’s a loaded question, and she can tell he’s not just asking about tonight. She uncrosses her arms but she still doesn’t face him. “I don’t know,” she answers quietly. “I need time to think.”

She sighs again, her breath visible in the cold night air. Shaking her head, she gestures for him to follow her. “Come on, I’ll make sure you get back to Corona in one piece.”

Varian blinks and looks behind him and then back at her. She’s already walking away and he follows after her. “But… But what about Eden..?”

“What about her?”

“W-We can’t just leave her there—”

“Why not? She left us.”

“Y-Yeah but… She’s still our mother—”

“ _So what?_ ” Cassandra stops and turns to him. “It’s not like she stuck around to actually raise us. We don’t owe her anything. She brought this onto herself.”

Varian glares at her before marching past her. She blinks before following after him through the village. She follows him to an old run down house, follows him inside, and watches as he begins searching for something.

“Varian—”

“You’re right, Cass, she did leave us and we don’t owe her anything but…” He turns back to her with a determined look in his eye. “Maybe you don’t want anything to do with her, and I don’t blame you, but… But I just got her back and I don’t want to lose her again when I can actually _do something_ about it!”

“And just what do you plan to do about it?” she demands as he begins searching the kitchen. She raises an eyebrow when he examines a cast iron skillet.

“Well first,” he begins, tossing the skillet from hand to hand. “I’m going to use this,” he refers to the skillet. “To knock that stupid grin off your boyfriend’s stupid face.”

“Okay first of all, if you _ever_ call him my boyfriend again I’ll boil your teeth,” she threatens with the first thing that comes to mind and he gawks at her. She clears her throat. “Second, these people are insane, what makes you think they won’t just kill you?”

“Because, I’m _valuable_ ” Varian answers, crossing his arms. “Being friends with the princess has its perks.”

Cassandra rolls her eyes and gives him a dismissive wave. “Fine, fine, go play the hero. But don’t say I didn’t warn you when you wind up dead.”

“I won’t,” he responds, and Cassandra watches him leave the old house.

She looks to the kitchen table, where Ruddiger is sitting, and staring at her. “What?” he chitters at her. “You know I can’t stop him.” Another chitter. “It’s not my fault if he gets in over his head.” The raccoon’s ears twitch and he croons at her, causing her to groan. “Fine! But I’m only going because I want to see him hit Hubert in the face.” She tells him, and he seems satisfied enough and hops onto her shoulder.

With an annoyed huff, Cassandra turns on her heel and leaves the house to follow after Varian.

Elsewhere, Eden sits with her arms tightly bound behind her by some rope; completely unnecessary if you ask her. She wasn’t planning on running away. She sits here, waiting for the group of rebels to do with her as they please. She worries her lower lip between her teeth, nervously glancing at the door every few seconds. Their leader had sent two of them to find Varian after he had run off after his sister. She hopes he was smart enough to run and not come back, but if he’s anything like his father, she knows better than to think that’s the case.

She looks up when the young man in charge steps in front of her. He looks at her with a bemused expression. 

“You know, if you had just owned up to what you did, I’m sure they would have swept the whole medicine thing under the rug,” he says, his expression morphing into amusement. “Of course, if you had you’d be dead either way, so who knows. So tell me, what do you think we’re going to do to you?”

“I don’t know, and honestly, I don’t care,” she answers. “Just leave my children alone.”

“Well, Cassandra’s is one of us now, so we won’t be doing anything to her unless she crosses us,” he grins when he sees the woman's eyes widen a hair. “But the kid, well, as valuable as he is, if he gives us a hard time we _may_ have to… Put him in his place.”

Andrew stumbles back, gasping for air when the woman’s boot collides with his midsection. “Kill me if you want, but if you so much as lay a finger on either of them I’ll come back and haunt you until the day you join me in Hell.”

He coughs, catching his breath, and straightens up. “So this is where Cassie gets her temper from.”

“I’ll aim lower if you keep talking,” Eden threatens, a satisfied smirk tugging at her lips when the young man backs up out of her reach.

Clearing his throat, Andrew brushes a strand of hair that had come free from his bun. “You know, lady, I’m being _nice_ by not outright killing them,” he says coldly. “Because of you my old man was arrested and shipped off to the mines where he died from an infection, and my mother, in her grief, took her own life. Maisie lost his brother, Clementine, her husband, Kai, and Juniper both lost their parents all because of _you._ ” His expression darkens. 

“You took our families from us, you should be glad we aren’t taking yours.”

Eden’s eyes fall to the floor and she hangs her head. “Just get it over with then,”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” he says with mock shame. “See, I want them to _watch._ ” The woman's head shot up and she looks at him with wide eyes. “I want them to see first hand what happens when you cross Saporia.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so uuuuh next chapter should be the end of this arc and we can get back to barely following canon again... Yay!


End file.
